Through Thick and Thin
by messyhairdontcare13
Summary: High school. Tris is a junior who moves to Chicago in mid-October at the beginning of her junior year. What happens when a certain someone gives her a ride home after his soccer match and they get to know each other pretty well. Everyone in the main gang plays soccer. Fourtris. Divergent high. Warning: Slight cursing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey I'm Tori! This is my first divergent story so I hope you enjoy it! Inspired by James Arthur's "Say You Won't Let Go". This story contains two of my favorite things: divergent and soccer. So, if you don't understand some of my terms I will leave them in an A/N at the bottom. Enjoy!**

…

Four POV:

Zeke passes to me and runs past two midfield players for a give-n-go. I dribble until number nine, right wing player, is a few feet in front of me, then cross the ball to Zeke across the field. He takes his shot on goal and scores, the ball swishing in the top left-hand corner of the net. We're winning but not by much with the score being 4-3. I will admit this team is good but we are one of the best in the district.

The quarter is almost over with only three and a half minutes left. We jog back to our side of the field; the other getting the kick off. We could score another goal before the last quarter if we push our asses to the limit. If we win this, we go to states. Then we could go to nationals.

The other team's forward kicks the ball to their defense and runs past me, towards our goal. I run forward towards their goal, ready for our special play to win. Number fifteen on the others team is cut short when our stopper, Al, plays up on him and steals the ball, dribbling then passing to Uriah, right midfield, and he dribbles along the line and passes down the line to Zeke, who passes to me. I dribble past the right defender and fake out his cover player when I dribble to the right and cut to the left. I shoot on goal and score when it hits the top of the net. The ref blows the whistle and the third quarter is over. We jog off the field to our coaches, Amar and George, and walk to the corner of the field with our waters, so the other team can't hear our plays.

"Okay guys. Great game so far! I don't want any slacking in this last quarter or they'll catch up to us and maybe beat us. Don't let this go to your heads. Got it?" Amar asks us while we all sit either on the ground or we crouch to regain our breaths. Amar and George continue to tell us our positions until the ref blows the whistle to start the last quarter and we put our waters and Gatorades into our bags and run back onto the field.

The fourth quarter goes as well as the third did and we win the game 7-4. Zeke jogs the short distance to me and shouts, "We're going to states, brother!" and throws his arm around my shoulders. We stand on the line and say our "good games" to the other team. We walk back to the corner where we always sit during time between quarters on after games and sit on the ground.

"Hey, great game guys! Who's ready for states?" George cheers. Everyone shouts and stomps their cleats on the ground. After a post-game pep talk, we all stand and walk to get our stuff, take off our cleats and shin guards, slip our feet into our slides, and take our separate ways, some chatting on their way to their cars, some walking to family or friends, some walking alone. I was the latter until Zeke came up behind me, Uriah trailing right after.

"Hey man. Great game!" Zeke says in his naturally carefree tone.

"Hey, you too man," I say back. We are the two starting forward players and we each scored multiple goals in this game, along with Uriah. We started walking towards our group, who I didn't realize were here, and notice a new girl standing next to Christina while Will walks to Christina and wraps his arms around her waist. I continue to stare at the unknown girl. She has a petite figure, long honey blonde hair, and amazing, stormy blue eyes. She's wearing a Twenty-One Pilots sweatshirt and long white wash jeans along with red high-top converse all to protect her skin from the bitter wind of mid-October. The girl notices my staring and becomes bright red, from what I don't know, before I look at the ground, becoming slightly red in my face as well. Christina picked up on our little… stare off, and decided to introduce everyone.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot guys. Everyone, this is Tris," Christina says.

Tris POV:

"Oh, yeah, I forgot guys. Everyone, this is Tris," Christina says. Everyone looks at me and I look back with my 'are-you-forgetting-something?' face. "Oh, um. Yeah. Tris, this is Will," She gestures to the guy wearing a sweaty soccer uniform with a number eight on his shirt and has his arms wrapped around her waist. "Marlene," She points to a smiling girl with blonde hair and brown eyes who is about five inches taller than me. "Shauna," she nods to a girl about the same height as Marlene with brown hair and hazel eyes. "Zeke," She points to a guy with light brown skin, dark, curly hair, and warm eyes, who is about six feet tall. He's wearing a uniform with number nineteen on the back. "Uriah," She gestures to another guy who looks a lot like Zeke, but slightly taller and younger, wearing number fifteen on it. They look like brothers. "And that's Four," She says and looks to the last guy. He is very tall and handsome with dark, captivating eyes. I can see his muscles through his uniform, which is labeled as number four. Ironic. I realize I have been staring a little too long and look to the ground, my face heating up once again.

Everyone else was chatting away, except for Four. We both stood quiet and awkward until Christina said she was leaving with Will.

"Wait Christina. Can you give me a ride home?" I ask before she walked too far away. She looked over her shoulder while walking away with Will and smirked.

"I'm sure Four can give you a ride home," She shouted and winked then turned around and continued walking with Will. Of course, she noticed my staring. I know her for not even two days and she can already see right through me. Am I that predictable? I turn around when someone taps my shoulder and see none other than Four himself. He is _really_ tall. Probably around six feet four inches **(A/N: see what I did there?)** And I'm only five feet one inch, so he's over a foot taller than me. I am once again staring, so I look to the ground once again.

After a few minutes, he talks. "Well, do you need a ride home?" He is looking at me with a small grin on his face. I nod and feel a slight blush come to my face. He waits for me to catch up and walk beside him since he started walking before me and his legs are much longer than mine.

He leads me to an old, blue pick-up truck and opens the door for me. I hoist myself up since its so far off the ground while mumbling a quick 'thank you'. He walks around to the driver's side and starts the truck after throwing his soccer bag in the backseat. We drive for a few minutes before I speak up. "I live on Abnegation Avenue." I say so he knows where to drop me off.

"Okay. I do too," He says not looking away from the road. "It'll be a few minutes before we get there." And we end up in a tense and awkward silence.

"So… wanna get to know each other?" I question just to brake the silence. He is quiet for what feels like minutes when its only seconds. When he responds, his voice is short and clipped.

"Sure."

"Okay, how about twenty questions?" I ask, remembering the silly game from my childhood.

"Okay." His answer is once again clipped. It takes me no time to think a question.

"When is your birthday? Like day/month/year." I ask, clarifying my question. He takes his eyes off the road to glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

"October 21st, 2000," He answers clearly. So he's almost seventeen. He looks like he is thinking of a question for me but then changes his mind.

"How about you?"

"My birthday?" I ask unsure of what he was asking.

"Yeah."

"June 13th, 2001." I reply glancing at him. I immediately ask him the next question.

"What grade are you in?" He responds by telling me he's a junior. Same as me. It goes on and eventually us asking a question and us both answering it.

"Any siblings?" I ask.

"Nope. Only child," He replies grinning. It's now that I realize that we stopped and are parked in the local mall's parking lot that is nearly deserted.

"Ugh, lucky," I say. "I have a brother, Caleb, who isn't even a full year older than me and acts like he's my dad. I love him, but he can be so over bearing," I spill out. I look at Four and he is staring at me, silently chuckling. "What?" I ask, slightly frustrated. He looks at me probably thinking of a reply.

"You are just kinda cute when you babble," He says then looks at his lap, but I don't miss the blush on his face. This makes me blush as well and we drift into silence. A few minutes later he asks, "Do you want my number so you can call me if you need a ride?" He still has a slight blush on is cheeks and I grin. I say yes and hand him my phone. He puts his number in my phone then hands it back to me and I text him to let him know my number. Then he asks me another question that I'm surprised didn't come up yet. "So, your sixteen… don't you have your license?"

"Yeah, but I got my license right before we moved so I don't have a car yet." He just nods. He puts the truck in gear and slowly pulls out of the parking lot. "What's your address again?" He asks.

"5230 Abnegation Avenue," I reply. We are close to my house… I think. I have only lived here a few days.

"Oh, so you're the family that moved in next door." He glances over at me, realization on his face. We turn onto Abnegation Ave and we park in the driveway next to my house. "Well, this is my house. I'll walk you to your door?" He says but it sounds more like a question. I nod my head and we both get out of the truck. We walk down the driveway and onto the sidewalk, going around the fence around the front lawn. We walk up the front steps to my house and we stop, standing in front of the front door.

"Thank you for the ride home," I say, noticing how close we are standing. He just nods saying a 'no problem' and continues looking at me. I look at my feet and I still feel his eyes burning holes in the top of my skull. I look up just as he starts talking again.

"Well, I should get home before my dad starts freaking out."

"Yeah, my brother is probably watching us from inside," I reply biting my lip, secretly not wanting him to go just yet. We stare at each other's face for what feels like hours but was only a minute more." It was nice meeting you Four. Thank you again."

"Yeah you too. And no problem, once again." He smirks and starts walking down the front steps. I don't go inside until he is walking up his driveway and I hear his front door open and close. I open the front door quickly to get out of the mid-October wind. Just as I predicted, Caleb is sitting on the couch in the living room, and I mentally prepare myself for his up-coming questions about where I was, who I was with, and who was that boy.

"Who is your new… friend?" He asks. Yup. I knew it was coming.

"He's just a new friend that I met, Caleb. I watched his soccer game with Christina." He already met Christina since she lives only a block away. I met her when I went on a bike ride past her house and we started talking then she came over to my house.

"But I thought Christina was giving you a ride?"

"Yeah but then she left with her boyfriend so Four gave me a ride home. He lives right next door anyways." I tell Caleb nonchalantly.

"What kind of name is Four? Must be a nickname. What kind of parent would name their children after numbers? Beatrice, it is a nickname, correct? If that is his actually name, I will not allow you to associate with him." Caleb finishes his little rant with a questioning yet strict 'big brother' look.

"Yes Caleb," I sigh, "Four is his nickname. I don't know his real one, so don't bother asking me." I walk pass the kitchen and up the stairs after hearing Caleb mutter 'Oh thank God' under his breath but just loud enough for me to hear. I walk down the hall and jump on my bed after taking my Converse sneakers off. I lay here for a few minutes before deciding to take a shower. I pull my long hair into a messy bun since I just washed it last night. I take my clothes off and throw them into my hamper before wrapping my towel around my body and walking across the hall to the bathroom. I turn on the shower and wait for it to turn the right temperature before getting in. Fifteen minutes later I walk back into my room after my shower and brushing my hair and teeth, and change into a sports bra, underwear, sleeping shorts, a cami, and a sweatshirt from the time I went to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania a few years ago. I flip my light off and crawl into my bed. I check my phone when I notice the time. 10:03. Tomorrow is my first day at my new school and Caleb will wake me up at five AM to get there when school starts at seven thirty. I decide to text Four and ask him for a ride since he lives just next door and is now my friend…kinda.

 _Hey, Four. It's Tris. Um can u maybe give me a ride to school tomorrow. I really don't want 2 wake up at 5 in the morning 4 my brother to drive me._ It doesn't take a full minute for him to respond.

 _ **Yeah, no problem(again). I'll pick u up at 7?**_

 _Yeah, sure. Thank you Four! Goodnight._

 _ **Goodnight, Short stack.**_

 _Short stack? Where did that come from?_

 _ **Idk. I just came up with it. Imma genius.**_

 _Yeah just like Einstein. Sure…_

 _ **Yup just like Einstein ;)**_

 _Ughhhh. Night 4_

 _ **Goodnight Short stack ;)**_

 _Ughhhhhhhhh_

 _ **;)**_

 _U r not gonna let that go r u?_

 _ **Nope**_

 _Ughhh!_

 _ **Haha. Night…**_

 _Don't say it…_

 _ **Short stack ;)**_

 _Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_

I stare at the screen for a few more seconds then set it on the pillow next to my head and try to fall asleep. After what felt like hours of thinking, I fall asleep with Four on my mind.

…

 **A/N: Okay first chapter done! Please R &R**

 **I plan on updating every Tuesday but that may change slightly in the next two months since the soccer season is starting and my dance classes are starting in a month. But it will be smooth sailing after that! Thanks for reading!**

 **-Tori**

 **Give-n-go – A play where one person passes to another and then sprints to a non-guarded area(guarded by the other team I mean) and the other person passes back to the first person. I'm hope you understand what I meant**

 **Mid-field – acts as both defense and offense**

 **And I think those are the only terms that anyone may not understand. If you have a question, please review or PM me.**

 **-Tori**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, people, I'm back. So, I was thinking of coming up with a name for anyone who reads my story. Let me know in reviews or by PMing me. ;)**

 **Thank you to all of you! I was so excited to see how many people have read the first chapter. Just under 130. I know that isn't a whole lot but I feel very accomplished. So, let's get into chapter two.**

…

Tris POV:

My alarm goes off at 6:30 in the morning. I grab my phone from the pillow next to my head and turn off the most annoying sound in the world as of right now. For a few minutes, I just stare at my bedroom ceiling, wondering how my first day at Divergent High will go until my mother knocks on my door.

"Beatrice, sweetie, I heard your alarm go off. You are going to be late if you don't get up now." I throw the sheets off my legs and place them on the floor. I walk to the door and see my mother standing there smiling at me. "Good morning, sweetie. Are you excited for your first day at your new school?" She asks and I can feel the excitement radiating off of her, though; I don't understand why she's so excited.

"Well, I guess I'm excited to go to Divergent High, but why are you? I'm the one going to a new school." I ask, confused and waiting for an answer to my question.

"Sweetie, I'm just excited for you. It's a new opportunity! New school. New people. New friends. New house. New neighborhood. New everything." She goes on about new experiences for a few more minutes and I start to zone out because of boredom. "Anyways, get dressed. I made breakfast, so come down to eat when you're done getting ready." And with that she turns as I close my door to get dressed and I hear her footsteps going down the stairs. I lean against my door before I grab my phone and check the time. 6:44. Well, I guess I'm not getting a shower this morning. I head into my closet to quickly look for clothes to wear to school today. I end up wearing black ankle boots, a black skater skirt with a dark red sweater tucked into it, and a grey and black infinity scarf. I grab my black and red back pack from the floor next to my bedroom door and throw the strap over my shoulder. I quickly braid my hair off to the side while walking downstairs.

My mom greets me in the kitchen with a plate of chocolate chip pancakes and a glass of orange juice and I sit down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. I glance at the clock on the oven to see its 6:51. I quickly eat my breakfast then run back upstairs to brush my teeth. Before coming pack down, I decide to put a little bit of mascara on my lashes. I run back down the stairs just as I hear the doorbell ring. I quickly kiss my mom on the cheek, grab my bookbag, and walk to the front door and open it. There I see Four looking down at his phone in his hand. He's wearing a semi-tight black t-shirt, dark jeans, and black Nikes. He looks at me when I close the door behind me.

"Hey. You look nice," He says looking me up and down. I feel my face get very hot in a matter of seconds.

"Not so bad yourself," I reply looking him in the eyes. We just stare at each other for a few seconds when he decides to break the silence.

"Well, if we keep standing here, we'll be late to school. You don't want Matthews on your back on your first day here." Oh, yes. Principal Matthews. I met her the other day when my parents were getting Caleb and I registered for our new high school. _Such a kind woman._ Yeah, okay. Maybe, and that's a big maybe, she would be considered _slightly_ kind if compared to Satan. Even then, I'm not so sure. I'm broken out of my in-head rant when Four places his hand on the small of my back, leading me to his truck. "Sorry, the group usually meets up before class every morning, and Chris will get upset and think something happened to us." He opens the passenger side door for me and I get in and he closes the door then walks to the driver's side and gets in immediately starting the truck and backs out of my driveway. The ride to school is almost silent and when we pull into the parking lot, I ask the obvious question since I'm new here.

"Hey, um, can you show me where the office is really quick. I need to get my locker number and schedule and all that stuff," I ramble on until I hear Four's door open and close, then follow suit and get out of the truck almost forgetting my bock bag. Four is leaning against the bed of the truck, waiting for me I assume. He looks up noticing that I'm out of the truck and starts to walk away, me silently following. I don't know where we are walking until I see Christina's car and the group all hanging around it. When we get there, everyone stops their conversations with each other and greet me and Four.

"Hey, guys. Um, I'm gonna take Tris to the office. She has to get her papers and stuff." Everyone responds by nodding their heads or with an 'okay' and stuff along those lines. I mutter a brief 'hi' and 'bye' before Four and I start to walk towards the school. HE leads me to the office and stops just outside the door. "Okay, I'll wait for you out here because Christina will want to see your schedule. So, we'll go back to the group when you're done in there. Okay?" He says watching my face closely. I nod my head and push the door open and walk to the front desk. There is a woman with dark hair and eyes sitting at the front desk and she looks up at me expectantly.

"Hi, I'm new here and I need and schedule and that stuff." I say looking at the woman as she begins to type furiously on the computer.

"Hi. What's your name? I'm Tori by the way and I'm the gym and music teacher." Tori says.

"Beatrice Prior." She types what I assume is my name into the computer then prints something out of a printer a few feet away.

"Okay, here you go. You are in Mr. Houston's homeroom and your locker is 2133. All your information is on these papers." She hands me the papers. I say a quick 'thank you' before walking to the door and literally running into Four.

Four POV:

Tris walks into the main office and I lean against the building looking at the ground for a few minutes until I see someone else's shoes on the ground in front of me. I look up to see none other than Eric.

"What do you want Eric?" I ask making my face emotionless. He just stares at me and smirks.

"Oh, can't I just come to see my best buddy, Four?" He asks acting like we are old friends but we most certainly are not. "Who's that little girl you were with, Four?" I just glare at him for mentioning Tris. "She isn't your girlfriend, right, Four? I mean, she looks like she's twelve. Why would you go for someone like her?" He goes on. I feel my body tense and untense trying to stay calm but even after only knowing Tris for not even a day I feel like I have to protect her.

"Eric, how about you back the hell off," I growl, my fists clenched at my sides. He just smirks at me once more before he stalks off. By now I'm standing right in front of the office door more conscious of my surroundings because of the whole Eric thing a few minutes ago, and I am caught up in my own thoughts so I don't notice much until a short body bumps into me. I look down to see Tris looking up at me, her papers scattered on the ground.

"Sorry," She mumbles as she bends down to get her papers. I bend down too and grab one of her papers that was closer to me than her and go to hand it to her when I notice how close our faces are. So close, that when we both turned our heads toward each other, our lips were almost touching. Without a word, we both stand up after staring at each other for a few minutes and I hand her schedule back to her.

"Okay, we better get back to the group. Christina is going to want to see your schedule." I say because she will. When new people joined the group, she immediately wants to see their schedules. She did it to me. To Shauna and Lynn. And to Will.

As soon as the group comes into view, Christina runs over to Tris attacking her with questions. "Oh my god, Tris, let me see your schedule. I hope we have classes together. Tris, can I have your schedule? Please? Let me see! Do you wanna have classes together? You don't hate me, do you? C'mon Tris, please let me see?" Tris hands Christina her schedule and Christina gets an analytical look on her face before she starts squealing. "OMG! Tris, we have almost every class together! Gym, Lunch, History, Chemistry, Algebra, Music, and English! The only ones we don't have together are Spanish and Free Period, but I think you have those classes with Four." Well, then I guess I have a lot of classes with Tris based off of what Christina just said. A few minutes later the warning bell for homeroom rings and we all walk to homeroom. We all split up to go to different homerooms and I head to my locker. Down the hall, I see Tris opening hers, putting her stuff in, getting other stuff out, and closing her locker before turning to Christina and heading off to homeroom. I put my things for my first three classes, History, Chemistry, and Gym. I head to Mr. Houston's classroom to see that Tris is in my homeroom. I walk over to her, Christina, Zeke, and Uriah and take a seat next to Zeke and behind Tris. Tris turns around in her seat and opens her mouth to say something when Christina starts talking to her. She turns back in her seat to face Christina, who is talking animatedly about some dress she saw in the mall and going shopping this weekend. Soon, Mr. Houston takes attendance then everyone goes back to their conversations before the bell rings. As we are leaving the class room to go to History, Tris falls into step beside me.

"Hey, you have Spanish 6th, right?" She asks and I nod my head. "Great. Can I tag along with you after lunch then? I don't know where the classroom is and I'd rather not be late due to being lost on my first day."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," I reply. From there the conversation withers until we get to History, where Chris, Will, Marlene, and Shauna are already sitting. I walk over to them and take a seat next to Will and Tris takes a seat next to me since there is no open seat near Christina. Mrs. Watsons soon starts the class after giving Tris her textbook and a packet to get caught up to where we are in the class. After the bell rings, ending the class, Christina and Tris head off to Algebra while Marlene and Will go to English and Shauna and I walk to Chemistry together. When we get to Chemistry, Shauna sits on one side of Zeke while I sit on the other. He gives Shauna a peck on the cheek then turns to me while Shauna talks to another girl in the class.

"So…." He says, dragging out the word.

"So…. What?" I ask, not knowing what he's trying to do.

"So…. What's going on with you and Tris, huh? I know there's something." He says. I roll my eyes.

"Zeke, there is nothing going on between us." Unfortunately for me I feel a slight blush fill my cheeks when mentioning my 'relationship' with Tris.

"Yeah, okay. Like I totally don't see that blush on your face. C'mon, I know you picked her up this morning and you walked her to the office. You like her, don't you?" He continues going on until the class starts and he has to shut his big mouth before he gets a week of detention. Once again, the bell rings ending the class. Zeke and I head to the gym and see Christina and Tris in the hallway.

"Do, you have clothes for gym? I have extras if you need them. I don't mind." Christina rambles to Tris.

"Chris, you've asked me three times now. I did bring clothes with me for gym. I have shorts and a sports bra and a t-shirt. I came prepared. You don't have to worry about my gym clothes," Tris says exasperated at first but laughing at the end. I don't hear their conversation anymore since they go into the girl's locker room and Zeke and I head to the guys locker room. We both change and walk into the open gym. There are already a few people in the main gym, two of them being Christina and Tris. We walk over to them and start talking about random stuff. Well, Christina and Zeke do. Tris and I both stay quiet, each of us switching our gazes to the floor then to each other. Soon enough, Tori and Amar come out of their offices and lead us outside to the football field.

"Okay, guys and girls. Listen up." Amar says, well, shouts, to gain the attention of the ignorant gossipers. "Today you can either run laps or you can play soccer. Your choice. Whoever wants to play soccer, go stand on the fifty," he points to mid-field, "and those who want to run, get running. I want a mile and a half by the end of the period." Me, Zeke, Christina and Tris go stand on the mid-field line along with most people in our gym class. Soon enough Amar and Tori come and split us into teams. Zeke and I are made team captains. In the end, I end up with Tris, Edward, Rita, Kira, James, Ben, AJ, McKenna, and Erin on my team. Zeke has Christina, Myra, Fernando, Kelly, Michael, Lily, Kevin, Mark, and Teegan on his team. We all figure out our positions to play and set up on the field just as Tori blows the whistle. Let the games begin.

…

 **A/N: Well, this chapter in done. I'm proud of myself because I finished this in one day.**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone reading and reviewing! Now I'm gonna go to sleep considering it's 12:30 in the morning right now and I'm kinda sick. Anyways, thank you again, everyone!**

 **-Tori**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, new chapter is here! I know this is a brand-new story and I promise I wouldn't desert it, but I have been thinking a lot lately and I'm thinking about doing a Tris and Uriah AU. Also, what is the ship name for them? So, can you guys please review and tell me whether or not you would be interested in a Tris and Uriah AU? That would be AMAZING. I am also thinking about switching to updating twice a week. Maybe. Oh, and I feel like a complete air head; I haven't disclaimed this story. So, to clarify, I** **do not** **own Divergent or any of its characters. Veronica Roth does. So, now I present Chapter Three.**

…

Four POV:

Soon enough, the game ends when Tori and Amar tell us to go in and change. We won. 7-3. The whole time we walk in, Zeke is complaining about his team losing. He should have made a plan for his team. I picked the fast people. I think Tris figured my plan out mid-game. She is very fast. Especially for her height. We both played forwards and then directed everyone else to positions by what they told us about their skills or what they usually play. Tris quickly became my co-captain.

"I mean, why did you guys win?" Zeke asks, not directing it at anyone. I turn to him as I laugh.

"Hey, Zeke, did you ever think of making a plan before you picked your team members," I turn to look at the rest of Zeke's team. "No offense guys. You just aren't the fastest people in the world." I look back to Zeke. "You need speed and stamina in soccer Zeke," I tell him, reminding him what Coach Amar has told us multiple times. In the corner of my eye, I see Tris smirk and I know that she definitely figured out my plan earlier. I focus my attention back on Zeke and, judging by his facial features, he has finally put the pieces together. I just silently chuckle at him. The rest of the day is boring and goes as expected. Once the final bell rings, I catch up to Tris as she is leaving the music room with Christina and Marlene. "Hey, Tris!" I shout, trying to catch up. She turns around in her tracks and waits for me, Christina and Marlene stopping and I hear the end of their conversation.

"…yeah, go I'll catch up," She says waving them off. They linger for a few more seconds then turn and continue walking down the hall. "What's up, Four?" She asks, looking up to me.

"Oh," I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my neck. "Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I have soccer practice after school so I can't drive you home. Well, unless you want to wait for me till practice is over. You don't have to if you don't want to…." I ramble on, and she just laughs at my awkwardness.

"Don't worry, Four. Christina was going to talk to the coaches about me joining late anyways, so I have to stay for their practice. You know, it's the same time as yours, right?" She asks the last part jokingly. I just give her a fake-glares and mutter a 'ha-ha very funny' under my breathe but with the way she laughs, I know she heard me.

"Ey! Shut it, Prior!" I command, now laughing along with her. She looks at me out of the corner of her eye and begins to laugh harder before responding.

"Oh, look who's talking, Eaton! You're the one muttering _explicitives_ under you're breathe, which by the way, I can hear! Not good behavior for school, don't you agree, Mr. Pedrad?" she goes on. Just then I hear Uriah's voice lurk up behind us.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't for the gang's newest power couple. You know, with the amount of time that you two spend together already, the group already ships it. Fourtris. It was actually pretty easy to come up with because you may know that I came up with it. See, I'm the smart Pedrad. Zekey Bear, not so much." I listen to Uriah's short… speech, if it would be called that. Half way through I notice Tris is already staring off into space, not looking away from Uriah but not right at him. I elbow her lightly in the shoulder to catch her attention since Uri is so caught up in one of his speaking-out-loud moments. She glances up at me, smiles quickly, then looks back at Uriah, who I didn't realize was done talking to himself and is staring at us with a light smirk on his face. _Great, way to fuel the fire._ They are probably just trying to push us together since the rest of them are either together or really, _really_ like each other. Zeke and Shauna. Will and Christina. And it is so very obvious that Uriah and Marlene have something going on. Zeke has tried a lot to get me on dates with half the girls at our school since he says _they all hit on me._ I know they do but I just ignore them since I find them all so needy and fake. I mean, it's only high school and they all look like they have had _at least_ ten plastic surgeries. But Tris is natural. Not a cake-face or fake. I don't think she really wears make up. And if she does, its next to nothing. That's probably why I'm talking to her more than I do other people. Sure, I talk to the group and other people and teachers, but not as much as Tris. Well, except for Zeke. He's the only person I have ever told about Marcus. He always tries to get me to talk to someone, to him. But I don't wanna talk to someone. I don't wanna go into the foster system. I don't wanna leave the only city I have ever known. I don't wanna be traded from one person's custody to another's. I have seen it happen to a few kids before and I don't want to go down that road. Ever. I don't wanna sit in courts while Marcus convinces everyone that he is innocent or that I'm just crazy. I know it would happen. Soon enough Tris walks to the bleachers near the field and Uriah and I continue our route to our side of the field. We run our warm up laps and stretch and get into our practice drills and so on. Eventually practice is over and a walk to my truck waiting for Tris who is talking to the girl's soccer coach, and she continues to walk over to me, practically running.

"Four, I'm on the team! Yes! It's been like a year since I have actually played even though its late in the season to join but I'm in!" She excitedly continues on and on, me butting in when I feel the need to say something. Eventually, I pull into my driveway and we both get out of the truck. I once again walk her to her door and then walk to Marcus's house after she closes her front door. I notice Marcus's car isn't in the driveway or garage. _Thank God,_ I think to myself. I don't even bother eating dinner knowing Marcus will give me extra punishments if anything was in the sink or dish washer. I walk up the stairs and into the bathroom, taking my clothes off once the door is shut and locked. I get in letting the hot water burn my bloody back. A few minutes later, I turn the shower off and get out and dressed. I check my phone before I fall asleep and see one new message.

 _thanks for the ride 4. Gn 3_

I quickly text her back, wanting to both respond and go to sleep as soon as possible.

 _ **Goodnight, Short stack ;) 3**_

I set my alarm on my phone and set it on my night stand. I roll over and attempt to find sleep and after who knows how long, I fall into a dreamless sleep.

…

 **A/N: Hey, so, this is just a short chapter (kinda) from Four's POV. Sorry it's so late. This week has been very busy. Please continue to R &R and I'll be back next Tuesday.**

 **-Tori**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, new chapter! So, with the next few chapters, after this one though, I plan to do them from Four's POV. Unless you guys don't like it, then I will switch back to Tris's POV. Please continue to R &R. By chapter ten, I want to be at 1,000 views. I think it's possible. ****Let's get into chapter four.**

…

Four POV:

I wake up to hear Marcus's screaming in my ear. I open my eyes and see him standing above me, drunk, swaying from side to side, yelling my name over and over again. I don't know whether or not to move, I can already see the belt in Marcus's hand. He is still screaming. _Tobias. Tobias. Tobias._ It doesn't stop for God knows how long until he's ordering me to kneel in front of him and take my shirt off. I comply. And I hate myself for it. I glance at the clock on my night stand before I take my shirt off, pulling it over my head, grimacing at the latest wounds, which are about to get worse. 4:09 AM.

I kneel down on the floor, like the coward I am. I won't stand up to this abusive man. I'm at least two inches taller than him and I have more muscle than he has had in a while. The first lash comes as a surprise as it always does. Soon I stop counting the lashes, knowing it will go on for a lot longer than I want it to. Unfortunately, I don't pass out by the time he's done whipping me. He kicks my stomach a few times and then my head twice before spitting on me and walking out of my bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I hear Marcus's car speed out of the driveway and down the street. He usually does this when he thinks that he's done it. He's finally killed me. Honestly, this is truly the worst he has ever done. I feel like I'm going to pass out any second. And I do the stupidest thing I could probably do. I call Tris.

The phone is still one the pillow that was next to my head earlier, when I was actually sleeping peacefully for once in the past nine years. I army crawl across the floor and look at my clock once again. 4:58 AM. He's beaten me for nearly an hour. I put my hand on my bed, not caring about the blood leaking onto my sheets, feeling around for my phone until it's in my hand. I pull up Tris's contact and hit the call button and letting it ring three times before she answers.

"Hello?" She asks, her voice full of tiredness. Shit, I didn't even think about the likeliness that she would be asleep right now. "Hello? Anyone there?" She asks again, her voice sounding more alert and annoyed now.

"Tris?" I croak out. I can feel the urge to pass out getting even harder to ignore.

"Four?" Tris asks. Her annoyed tone has turned into one of worriedness and concern. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need a ride? Tell me where you are. I'll be right there to get you." She rambles on and I feel my lips turn up slightly over her concern.

"My house." That's all I can get out. I barely notice the phone fall out of my hand and onto the floor. I barely notice the light fading into blackness. I barely notice Tris's yells in the background, coming from my cell phone. I barely notice the floor ramming into my body. I barely notice the beeping of a call ending. I barely notice the banging at my front door and the hurried footsteps coming up the stairs. I barely notice my door being whipped open. The only thing I really register in my mind is Tris's eyes, full of worry and panic and concern and fear. Of what? I'm not so sure. I barely notice the quiet 'pings' coming from her phone, but I know she's calling 911. I know I'm going to be put into foster care and I'll be taken away from my friends. I'll be taken away from Tris. My Tris. Holy shit! I like Tris. And the light completely fades from my sight and I hear silence.

Tris POV:

I'm awaken by my phone ringing in my ear. I feel around on the other side of my bed for my phone until I can feel it in my grasp.

"Hello?" I ask since I didn't bother to check the caller ID. All I know is that it's like four o'clock in the morning and I want to get a few more hours of sleep. "Hello? Anyone there?" I ask again getting annoyed quickly and wanting to get back to sleep.

"Tris?" I have only known the person for a few days now and I can already recognize the voice on the end of the line. I can already feel the worry seeping into and throughout my body.

"Four?" That's all that I can get out without crying. I can tell something is really wrong. I've gotta compose myself. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need a ride? Tell me where you are. I'll be right there to get you." I ramble on, not letting him speak yet. I can already hear his rapid breathing and my heart beating out of my chest. He's hurt. By now I'm wide awake, sitting up in my bed, shoving socks and shoes on my feet.

"My house," is all he says before I hear the phone hits something, probably the floor. Now, I'm running out of my bedroom, down the hall and the stairs, and out the front door, running down the sidewalk and up Four's driveway. I bang on his front door for what seems like forever but give up and just barge in, the door surprisingly being unlocked. I take the steps three at a time which is asking a lot from my petite legs. I run down the hallway to the only door with light slipping out from under it. I throw the door open to see Four fallen sideways, next to his bed, in a growing pool of his own blood. He is still slightly conscious still so that is a good thing. I quickly dial 911, begging him to stay awake just for a little while longer; until the ambulance gets here. The woman is so calm when she answers the phone. _How could she possibly be so calm when she as a job like this?_ I ask myself. I focus back down at Four. His eyes are closed. Damn it!

"Sweetie, I need you to tell me what your emergency is," the lady says in such a calm manner that both repulses me and calms me at the same time. I can't even speak with the tears streaking down my face at an unsteady pace and the trembles overtaking my body.

"M-my fr-friend. He- he's all bloody and beaten. He nee-needs an ambulance." I choke out, stuttering constantly.

"Okay, sweetie. I need to know where you are." She says once again in the calmest voice in the world as of right now. I give her Four's address and she stays on the line with me until the ambulance gets here, attempting to assure me that everything will be okay. All that I can physically do right now is grasp onto his hand like it's a lifeline, rubbing my thumb along his knuckles, waiting for his eyes to open again. Soon enough, the EMT's get here and carefully lift him onto a gurney and take him out of the house and into the ambulance. It's now that I notice my parents and Caleb standing on the sidewalk between our houses, looking towards me, confusion written all over their faces. I just look into my mother's eyes pleading with her to understand that she should let me go with Four t the hospital and that I'll explain later. She just gives me a quiet, subtle nod and I hop into the back of the ambulance after they lift Four in.

…

I've been sitting at the hospital for a few hours now. The gang keeps texting me, asking where I am, where Four is, if we're off doing something together. I want to text them but I'm not sure what to say, so I text Christina, deciding to ask her to tell everyone else for me.

 _Chris. Answer ASAP!_

 _ **Hey, what's up? Where r u and 4?**_

 _4 is in the hospital. I'll explain later. Can u tell everyone?_

 _ **Of course, I'll be there ASAP.**_

That is the only conversation we have before she leaves, I'm assuming to tell the gang and to leave school. Well, I guess I'll have to mentally prepare for all their questions that even I don't have the answers to.

…

 **A/N: So sorry once again for the short chapter. The next one will be about 5000 words as payback to you guys. I promise. Please continue to R &R.**

 **-Tori**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey! I'm back with a new chapter. Like I said in the last chapter, these next few chapters will be in Four's POV. So, there's that.**

 **I'm so so so so so so so sorry that this is a day late. I wanted to make this chapter extra good since the last to chapters haven't been very long at all. Again, so so so so so so so so sorry for the wait.**

 **Next order of business. Please review and tell me if you guys would like a Tris/Uriah story. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. I didn't get any reviews about it when I last asked, so please let me know.**

 **Third, I know I said in the same chapter I mentioned the Tris/Uriah story. I was talking about updating twice a week but I don't think it will happen. For now. It definitely won't happen until soccer season is over since my main time for writing is after school. Right now, it's so busy though with soccer five sometimes six days a week, my AP classes, dance is starting in a few weeks too, but that is only two days a week so I'm not very worried about that. Plus, this week, my brother, sister-in-law, and my new nephew came home because of all the hurricanes in the south. If you don't understand what I mean, well, there have been multiple hurricanes in the south of North America. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to say these type of things, but you guys don't even know what state I live in so… Okay! Back on topic. So, I have had family all at my house; my brother and his family staying here (I'm the youngest in my family so I'm still at home) and family visiting since they haven't been home in a while.**

 **Which leads me to my next topic.**

 **My heart goes out to all of you and your families who have been affected, whether it be Hurricane Harvey or Irma. I pray for all of you and your loved ones. I don't know how many of you were affected but you can always talk to me if you need anything, not only relating to natural disasters.**

…

Four POV:

I wake up to beeping and I know I'm in the hospital. Tris knows. My other friends probably all know by now. I'll be taken away. Foster care. I still have a bit over a year until I'm eighteen. It'll suck. My thoughts are taking over me and I hardly notice the sound of quiet breathing next to me. I try and slowly turn my head to my left, my eyes widening when I see Tris's slight form in the chair next to my bed, her head leaning on the edge of it, sleeping. I smile slightly at the thought of her waiting and sitting next to me. I came across the realization when I was, what I thought, almost dead. But I know she'd never feel the same way about me. I mean, after this…? Maybe I had a chance before but now? Why would she ever be into someone like me?

I try to sit up in the uncomfortable hospital bed, but end up wincing and crying out, affectively waking Tris who jumps alert and already fully awake. "Four!" She tackles me in a hug causing me to wince once again. "Oh, geez! I'm sorry I didn't even think. Ugh I'm an idiot. I'm sorry for doing that. I just… After the first week, I didn't think you'd wake up then everyone tried to get me to leave to do more than go to school and shower and eat in the cafeteria. I'm sorry. I'm babbling and you don't need that right now." She stops talking and her one phrase sticks in my head. _After the first week._ After the first week?

"What do you mean first week?" I ask, unsure of what she'll say. Was I really out that long? It felt like a day at most. It couldn't have been over a week. Could it? At my question, I noticed Tris go quiet. Was I really out for that long? "Tris," I ask again.

"You were unconscious for almost two months." She blurts out. Two? _Two? Two months? How?_ I just stare at Tris and I guess she took that as a sign to go on. "I'm sorry. I didn't wanna just blurt it out like that but I didn't know what or how to tell you." She's sitting in the chair next to my bed once again and I notice she is gripping my hand like a lifeline, rubbing her thumb across my knuckles as she continues to ramble on with her unnecessary apologies. "I'm so sorry Four. Ugh, I suck. I'm so stup-" I cut her off by pulling her face towards mine, smashing her lips to mine. The kiss isn't _that_ long but it's not super short. We pull away and rest our foreheads against each other's breathing slightly hard. I flick my glance to her face to see her piercing gray and blue eyes staring at me. When my eyes meet hers, she grins, asking, "What was that, Four?" I'm pretty sure she liked it as much as I did based on the spark in her eyes and the smile on her beautiful, delicious lips. But I don't like hearing my nickname from her lips though. Should I tell her my real name? Before I can even mentally answer that question, the words are falling from my lips.

"Well, Tris," I start, "that is something that is called a kiss." I smirk playfully at her. "And do me a favor. Don't call me Four."

"Well, then. What do I call you?" She asks. This is it. I'm telling her my real name.

"It's Tobias." I say, my smirk wiped from my face. "But just call me that when we're alone, okay?" She simply nods at my request. We are silent for a few more seconds before I speak again, quieter this time. "I really hope you enjoyed that as much as I did." She continues to stare into my eyes as I do into hers. I see the small grin grow into a full-on smile in a matter of milliseconds that feel like hours.

"I think I enjoyed that even more, Tobias. I really like you, you know?" She whispers to me. Wow. She likes me. I thought she would think I was a freak after all this.

"Really?" I ask, not believing that she would ever like me in that way. My question is answered by her immediate nod. "Well, if you couldn't already tell, I really like you too." I tell her, our grins matching each other's. Soon, our lips meet once again, and we hold onto the kiss until we can no longer, needing to catch our breathes. Just then we hear a cough and we both jump at the sound, our gazes landing on the breathing forms next to the hospital room's door. Christina, Will, Zeke, and Uriah are all standing there with the biggest smirks on their lips.

"I called it!" Uriah shouts pointing them each in the face, his index finger staying put on Zeke longer than Christina or Will. "And you, Zekey Bear, owe me twenty bucks!" The grin now looks like it is permanently etched on Uriah's face.

Tris turns to me and quietly mutters to me, " _Great._ I love being bet on." But I can hear the smile in her voice.

Christina soon speaks up. "Well, since we thought Four would still be asleep, we thought we'd give you some company. But since he's up, you're a bit…. busy," with that she winks at Tris and stands walking out the room, Will and Uriah both following.

"Hey what time is it?" I ask Tris since this room doesn't have any windows, but this is the first time that I'm noticing it and with Tris, it doesn't affect me that much.

"What, you got a hot date?" She asks me jokingly.

"Only you." And we both stay quiet for a little bit after that, but I can tell that she is smiling. I am too.

"It's nine thirty-seven," She answers. "You should get some sleep," She says after I yawn for the second time in the last minute.

"Only if you do too," I tell her, moving over slightly in the small bed, grimacing slightly from the sudden movement. I pat the bed next to me. Slowly, she walks over and climbs into the bed next to me, ever so careful of my wounds which are actually, now that I notice it, mostly just bruises. After we are both comfortable, her curled into my side, my arm around her, my chin on top of her head, I am once again wide awake, and judging by her normal breathing rate, she was too. "Can you not sleep either?"

"Yep," comes her immediate answer. We stay up for the nest hour, laughing, talking, or just holding each other. A question soon comes to my head and I know I have to ask it.

"Hey, Tris?" I prompt.

"Yeah?"

"Would you maybe, uh, be my girlfriend?" I ask. By now she's shifted in the bed so her face is against my chest with my cheek resting on her head, and I can feel the smile on her face through the thin hospital gown that I'm wearing.

"Of course, Tobias. I'm honored," She happily whispers out. I smile into her hair and turn my head so I can kiss the crown of her head. I soon fall into one of the most peaceful night's sleep in a long time.

…

The next time I wake is unknown the only thing I notice is the petite girl and her steady, slow breathing curled up next to me in the bed. I look at her for minutes, replaying what happened earlier. She's my girlfriend. Yesterday, I woke up for the first time in two months. We kissed. It was amazing.

My thoughts consume me so much that it takes me some time to realize the person I hate most in the world is sitting across the room, staring and laughing at me.

" _Son,_ " He says between fits of laughter, "You really like someone like her? Even I know you could do much better." I just glare at him until he pulls out something that I have had nightmares about. A gun. "Now, you don't want me to shoot her, do you _Tobias?_ " He aims the gun at Tris's sleeping figure just as she wakes up. I can only manage to get one word, one name out of my mouth before the gun goes off. _Tris._

…

 **A/N: Hey, once again so sorry it's late. Hope you enjoyed! Please keep on going with the R &R's.**

 **-Tori**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey. Now that I just typed that, I feel like I always start like that. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, ha-ha. So, new chapter today. The next few weeks will be a bit rocky when it comes to updates, with soccer, which we just came in second for at a huge tournament, and dance which is starting tomorrow night, which I'll have to go to after soccer practice. So, yeah. Busy. I will still try to update every week though. It just might not be every Tuesday. After the soccer season, I will be back on track.**

 **I am very sorry about the last few chapters. They were very short but I wanted to get them out on Tuesday. This one will be longer, I promise.**

 **Okay, so I'll stop blabbing and get into Chapter six.**

…

Four POV:

Marcus aims at Tris and before either of us can even process it he fires twice. I don't even look at Tris before I hit my "nurses call" button and I'm up and out of the uncomfortable hospital bed and walking to Marcus. I punch him in the face as soon as I reach him and then hit his temple until he collapses to the floor. I probably gave him a mild concussion. I kick his limp body until I hear slight whimpers from the other side of the room, where Tris is. _Tris._

I take a few long strides back to the bed, trying not to panic when I see her. I can't tell where she was shot. I grab her smaller hand in mine and unconsciously rub my thumb across her palm, trying to sooth her pain away. I look over her trying to find bullet wounds when my eyes land on where she was shot. _Her shoulder._ I go to the other side of the bed and try to apply pressure on it which she then cries out because of the pain. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I whisper to her, placing a small and gentle kiss to her temple. "Were you shot anywhere else?" I ask, unsure if I missed a spot. She nods, still wincing in pain. "Where, Tris? I need to know." She silently moves the sheet aside to show a lot of blood pooling out of a bullet hole just above her right hip. I gasp at the sight, not understanding how I missed it. I take the sheet and place it on top of the other wound, ripping a strip off to tie around her shoulder. "I'm going to go find a nurse, okay?" I ask, hesitant to leave her alone. I storm out of my hospital room, going as fast as I can to find a nurse or doctor, someone. I finally get all the way down the hall to the nurses' station, finding my nurse standing there, clipboard in hand. "I need help. It's an emergency." I tell her as soon as she is in range of hearing me clearly. She looks at me, surprised, and gestures down the hall.

"Mr. Eaton, let's get you back to your bed. You need to rest. You shouldn't be walking that much." She replies, probably thinking that I'm crazy.

"No. No. I need help! My girlfriend was shot by my psychotic father. Okay? I need help." I insist. Her face changes when I say shot.

"Are you sure that you know what you're talking about sir? I never heard a gun sound." She says, her eyes slightly narrowed but she is very curious now.

"Yes, I'm sure. He had a silencer on his gun. Please just come with me. She was shot in the stomach and shoulder. I can't lose her. She's all I have left." My voice cracks half way through and gets quieter. The nurse silently agrees with a nod of her head and quietly follows my speed-walking form down the hall, going slower than I would like her to. She continues the same pace all the way down the hall until we finally get to my hospital room's door. I throw the door open, urging the nurse to hurry up. Marcus is still unconscious on the floor and Tris's whimpers are louder than they were earlier. I can tell when the nurse hears Tris's cries of agony because her eyebrows furrow and pace quickens until she is next to Tris on the hospital bed. I sit in the chair next to the bed, letting Tris grip my hand, releasing some of her pain onto my hand. I only am paying attention to her. She continues to grip my hand, hard. But I don't mind if it at least takes a little bit of her pain away. I now sit at the edge of the bed, holding Tris to me, kissing her forehead, tucking her hair behind her ears. At some point the nurse ran out of the room to get a doctor or another nurse or something like that. I can tell that Tris is starting to lose consciousness, and honestly, I don't know how she has held on this long. "Tris," I whisper in her ear. I hear her quiet hum in response. "I need you to stay awake for me. Please?" Her silence does not comfort me. "Tris? Please. Please stay awake until they get back here." I plead with her. She is quiet, gathering her energy to speak.

"Tobias, it hurts so bad though," Her voice breaks something inside of me and I feel stinging in the back of my eyes. I can't cry. No. I have to be strong for her. But the tears are welling in my eyes now. Their pooling, about to fall. Only if I blinked.

No. She's the hurt one here. Well, I am too, but not nearly as bad as she is. Plus, I have already had medical treatment. She hasn't. She needs it. Badly.

Tris's eyes are starting to shut. Her whimpers becoming quieter and quieter as unconsciousness overtakes her. Taking her into oblivion. "Tris, please stay awake. I need you to stay awake. Alive. Please. I need you. Please." I beg but she's already under the cloud of darkness that consumed me for the past two months. The nurse comes running into the room with what looks like a bunch of nurses and doctors. They unhook the bed and immediately take Tris out of the room and down the hallway. I run along, going into the elevator with them, going to the floor with the emergency room on it. I try to go along with them the whole way, but I'm pushed back by a male nurse when they go through a set of doors. I am taken to the waiting room where I can hear yelling from behind the set of doors that separate me from Tris. I probably look ridiculous. I'm in a hospital gown; the type that shows half of your ass if it's not tied tight enough. I have no shoes on. I don't remember the last time I've had a shower or brushed my hair. But if they get news on what's gonna happen with Tris or how bad she is or whatever, I need to be here. Until she wakes up. Then I will call the group. And her family. For now, though, I will just sit in this plastic waiting room chair and wait.

…

I guess I fell asleep at one point because I wake up to see Christina right up in my face. I jump at the proximity. "Why didn't you call sooner? We had to hear it from her brother!" She yells at me but I notice the unshed tears in her eyes. I mumble a quick apology and look around me to see the entire group here. I guess the hospital called her parents. _How would that be on her medical history?_ I ask myself. The group is either seated or standing around the waiting room. After a few minutes though, the people who were standing, Will, Lynn, Al, and Zeke, sit down, staggered across the waiting area. None of us talk except for Zeke asking me if I wanted him to pick up some clothes for me. I simply nod my head and he walks away. _Better than being half naked in front of all my friends and a bunch of strangers._ Just then, Caleb comes running out from the doors that I wasn't allowed beyond. And he says one thing that makes my heart temporarily stop. "She's awake." And I go running past him, not caring at all that my ass may be hanging out.

…

 **A/N: Hey, sorry. Kinda short chapter again. So sorry. Please keep R &R ing. I really appreciate it.**

 **-Tori**


	7. Author's Note

**A/N: Hey guys. I'm so so sorry! I won't get an update out Tuesday. I have a huge report due Tuesday morning and I didn't even start it yet because I didn't realize it was due Tuesday. It's Sunday. And I left all my work in my locker at school.** _ **Great**_ **right? Ugh. I'm so so sorry, again though. It may be out Wednesday, but I also have a game on Wednesday. I feel orrible, but I won't be allowed to even write any more if my grades start to slip.**

 **Again, so sorry. There will definitely be an update by the following Tuesday. I'll try for this Friday.**

 **Sorry. -Tori**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey. New chapter! I want to thank all of you so so so much for your reviews! They make writing mean so much more. Really. I legit almost started crying the other day. So please keep reviewing!**

 **I am so sorry that this is a week late! Soccer season is almost over, so after that, I'll have much more time to write. Plus, I'm going on a trip next weekend with my parents so I'll be in the car for 4 + hours. That means 4 + hours to write.**

 **I do not own Divergent or any of its characters. I only own my own ideas.**

…

Four POV:

I run down the hall, trying to find where her room is, except, I have no clue where it is. I impatiently wait for Caleb and eventually he comes down the hallway with the rest of the group following anxiously behind him. I can already tell that Caleb never likes to rush; he's a slow poke.

We eventually stop at a hospital room, which I assume is Tris's. Caleb stops, letting everyone else enter before he does. The others don't make the first move, so I go in and my eyes fall on Tris's small figure propped up in the hospital bed. Soon after, my eyes linger to two teary eyed figures who I assume are her parents. Well, this is an awkward way to first meet her parents. _God, Tobias. Are you seriously gonna think about this right know? In her hospital room, with her unconscious? Really?_ I slowly and quietly walk further into the room as the quiet whimpers and cries are released from her mother. What are their names again? _Tris told you them, Tobias. Ugh. Focus._ I think back to our conversation on the first day we met.

 **Flashback:**

She's sitting sideways in her seat, well, the front seat of _my_ car. She absent mindedly runs her left hand through her hair. _God, she's so beautiful. Jesus, Tobias, when have you ever even called a girl beautiful? Definitely not Nita, and she was the only girlfriend I have ever had. And we didn't even enjoy it. Well, at least I didn't. We made out once, after our date where I took her to an expensive restaurant that she dragged me to then forced me to pay. Ugh. Get your thoughts on track, Tobias!_ I refocus all my attention back to Tris, coming to the conclusion that she is talking about her family.

"… yeah. So just the normal two parents and a brother thing. Me, Caleb, my mom, and my dad. But I have no clue where mine and Caleb's names came from. Natalie and Andrew. Not derivatives of those names."

Natalie and Andrew.

Andrew and Natalie.

Well, great, now I remember their names. Now what do I _say_?

"Um… hello?" I start out, both mentally and physically cringing at my rude words coming from my mouth and going to the parents of my unconscious girlfriend. _Girlfriend. I like it._ Mr. Prior slowly looks up from his sleeping daughter's face with tired eyes. He stares at me for a moment before he speaks.

"Hello. Who are you?" He asks, glancing me up and down. "Are you that 'friend' she has been visiting constantly these past few months?" I nod my head, staying silent, not knowing how he'll react or what he'll say. What he speaks surprises me. "Well, you must be a good person; Beatrice tends to have an excellent sense for people." Wow. Seems like he is actually excepting me. "I don't know how close you are to her, but I'd guess that it's more than just… I don't know. What you would call a 'fling' maybe?"

Natalie looks to me. Her cheeks and under eyes are red and wet, obviously from crying. _How long have they been sitting in here?_ She looks a lot like Tris. Well, Tris looks a lot like her. Blonde hair, blue-gray eyes. Except, Natalie is at least two inches taller than Tris. _Shortest one in her family. That's frickin' adorable._ I look away from Natalie and to Tris, noticing that her face is scrunched up, as if she was in pain. I silently walk over to the other chair on the other side of her bed. _Caleb must have been sitting her earlier._ Grabbing the small, pale hand that gives me tingles every time I touch it, I begin to stroke the back of her knuckles, trying to calm her pain of her subconscious. It works. Her face goes back to normal in a matter of five seconds. I continue to hold her hand and rub her knuckles until Andrew speaks up. "How close are you to my daughter?" He asks with narrowed eyes. I stare back at him, pondering my words and what Tris and I really are. I take my time answering. So long that I almost forgot what he asked me.

So, I simply replied to him with "I'm not really sure. I mean, I don't know how close we are. I asked her to be my girlfriend as of," I look down to wrist out of habit. _Well, I'm not wearing my watch. Another thing to find._ I look to clock on the wall across from the hospital bed. "six hours and thirty-seven minutes ago." _God, I'm whipped. Haha. I finally get what Zeke means. I remember the time I asked her out. God, Tobias!_ Mr. Prior is still looking at me, continuously staring at me until he finally cracks a smile.

"Good." That's all he says. It was so quiet that I barely heard it. Okay…

I look back to Tris just in time to see her eyes fluttering.

…

 **A/N: Hey. So sorry it was a short chapter! I'm exhausted! Geez! Okay, so. New chapter next Tuesday. Night guys! - Tori**


	9. Author's Note 2

Hey, I'm so sorry. If you can't already tell, this is another author's note. This note is because I will not be updating this week due to my concussion. I got hit with a soccer ball at practice last Tuesday and I am not allowed to look at electronics for more than twenty minutes at a time and it is Monday night. I promise I will start to update more after I'm cleared completely. Soccer is, unfortunately, this following Wednesday so I will have more time to write.

Until next time

-Tori

P.S. Sorry again!


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey, guys. I'm back! Haha. Sorry, I'm late. Okay well, for those of you who have read my last Author's Note, I have a concussion.** **So, that is why I couldn't update last week or the week before. And from now until I am cleared I can only use electronics for twenty minutes at a time. So, just saying it now, this will be a shorter chapter. I'm sorry. I keep promising you guys these long chapters but I can't get them finished in time. Ugh! Sorry. I'm just like typing all my thoughts right now. Haha. So, let's put my blubbering aside and get into chapter eight of Competitivity.**

 **But before I get into this chapter, I would like to say that I deeply appreciate positive criticism. I really do, so so much. And I want to thank you guys for that. But I really get pissed off when I'm called a "fucking idijot" and "dumbass" and "retardd". Well, apparently you are the "idijot" and a "retardd" because you didn't spell those words and a few more right in your review. I really don't appreciate being called a dumbass because that's you. For your information, not all soccer games have 45-minute halves so don't fucking call me an "idijot" or a "retardd" or a dumbass, buddy. Again, I don't like saying this stuff, but, I admit, I can be a very temperamental person and get pissed off easily. But, honestly, I think this would piss off the nicest person in the world.**

 **P.S. I do not own Divergent or any of its characters. I only own my ideas for the plot of this story.**

 **(I feel like it's been forever since I've done a disclaimer.)**

…

Four POV:

My long fingers are intertwined with hers. My thumb casually rubs the back of her clammy hand that is limp in my grasp. I saw her eyes flutter, only for a brief second, but I saw them. I wish she would just open them up so I could see those beautiful baby blues. I wish –

Her eyelids are fluttering once again. _C'mon Tris. Open up your God damn eyes!_ I shout at her in my mind. Her eyes are still fluttering, as if they're trying to lift weights off of them that are just a little more than they can lift. And suddenly her gray blue orbs are looking me straight in the eye. We stare at each other in silence for only a few milliseconds before I gently wrap my tall frame around her injured, petite form. I've only been dating her for what- a day? Not even. And it was a sucky day. Not the _suck my fucking ass_ day. It was the _I can't even comprehend the amount of suckiness that this day has sucked._ It might be even worse than that.

When she pulls her head back from the place where she was resting it in the crook of my neck, I pull back as well to stare, once again, into her stormy grey-blue eyes. I can see all the pain she is reflecting in them and I lay her back into the pillows as carefully as possible, but before she can even take in a breath to rid herself of some of the pain she is experiencing, her parents are up, basically on top of her. I see Tris look to me with pleading eyes over her father's shoulder. But what am I supposed to say? _Mr. and Mrs. Prior, can you get off your daughter? I think you're suffocating her._ Or what about _Hey, get off your daughter!_ \- and yell at them for showing affection to their teenage daughter who was just shot twice by _my_ psychotic father? Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Prior stand back up and sit back down next to Tris's bed, where they sat just a few minutes ago. They talk for a few minutes, but I tune it all out since I feel like I'm invading on a family conversation. I quietly mumble to Tris. "I'll go get your brother." She turns her head to me quickly and nods silently, shooting me a thankful look. I take my time walking down the hall to the waiting room. Once I'm standing outside of the waiting room doors, I take a deep breath to try and cleanse my thoughts and prepare myself for all the questions that are awaiting inside of my friends' minds. I push open the doors and see all their heads including Caleb's whip towards me. And I just realized that I am still wearing a hospital gown. _Great._ I'll have to ask Zeke to get me some of my clothes from my house. _He still has his key, right?_ I take a few seconds to decide what I will say to them. "Caleb, she's awake now. You can go back now." And with that, Caleb gets up and leaves to go to her room. I look back towards my friends. "They don't allow more than three people back there at a time. They'll probably be moving her up to the ICU in the next day or so and I doubt that her parents will leave often. Caleb too." I take a seat next to Zeke and wait and sit for what feels like hours. About a half hour ago, Zeke left to get me some clothes. Christina starts randomly talking out loud to anyone who will listen to her.

"I mean. How was a gun able to get into a hospital? I don't get it. I mean. Ugh. I don't even know." And she goes on and on just like that. I decide to tune everything out until Zeke got back and gave me my clothes. I went to the bathroom and got changed and as soon as I came out, Mr. and Mrs. Prior as well as Caleb were talking to the group. I walk over trying not to be noticed.

"Ah, Four. There you are." Mrs. Prior says, pulling me off to the side. "Just so you know, I put you on the 24-hour visitor list." That is all she says. When she finishes and starts to walk away, she winks at me. _Yep, she knows._ I quietly say goodbye to the group and walk back to her room. When I get there, I notice that she is nearly asleep. I silently walk to her bedside and lightly grab her hand, enough to bring her slightly out of her sleepy trance.

"Four, oh you're here. I'm so tired." She yawns out. I lean over a tuck her in only for her to squirm around and pat the bed next to her. "C'mon, get in. I won't," another yawn, "bite." I look at her knowing she is out of it and I know she sees my hesitance. She just pats the bed again and slides over. I think she's a bit high on pain meds. I slowly and gently climb into the bed and wrap my arms around her as she puts her face in the crook of my neck. I simply kiss the top of her head as I hear her breathing become slow and even. And I slowly let myself fall asleep with my head on top of hers.

…

 **A/N: Hey, once again. I'm so so sorry this is so late. I was going to update last night but I never got the chance. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. -Tori**


	11. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey! Why do I always start by saying that? Anyways, I'm back. So sorry for not updating last week. Lot of stupid-ass-shit drama with my so called "friends". So yeah. I'm a bit sick of taking crap from people, but that's not what I'm here to talk about, right? So, I was cleared of my concussion last Monday, so that's good. I'll be writing more, most likely. Please keep the R &R's coming! Now time for chapter 9!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or any of its characters. I only own the characters and ideas that come from my own imagination.**

…

Tris POV:

I wake to the best scent in the entire world. I'm warm, too, but not too warm. Just right. The type of warm that you feel when you just are the most content you can be. The, as cheesy as it sounds, warm feeling in your stomach when something adorable happens. I turn my head to the right and see some slight light coming through the crack between the hospital curtains and snuggle deeper into the warmth that is Tobias, yelping, of course, just enough to wake him. _Damn you pain meds. And guns. And Marcus._ He quickly yet gently moves me from on top of him and sets me on the wrinkled bed sheets. He pulls the chair next to my bed over and sits down, taking my hands in his.

"What happened? Did I rip your stitches out? Shit. I shouldn't have gotten in that bed with you. I should have listened to my own thoughts. Damnit, Tris, I'm – " I cut him off by grabbing a hold of his face and bringing it to mine, our lips barely an inch apart.

"Please, Tobias," I see him smile slightly at my use of his birth name. "Don't blame yourself. I wanted you there and I needed it, too. It was my own fault. My own doing. That's what caused my pain. Not you. I moved the wrong way. That's all. Please, don't say that it's your fault because it's not. I know you will. Okay?" I beg him, trying to discourage him of blaming himself. My eyes briefly flicker down to his lips and before I know it, his lips are against mine. The burning feeling on my lips from where his own are remind me that this is one of the few times that we have kissed. I'm in my own land for what I believe to be years but only seconds at the same time. And that's when I hear a disturbed "Ahem," and "Look, Will, they're going at it more than we have in the past month." And with that, we slowly pull apart and look briefly into each other's eyes before turning our heads to see Christina and Will standing in the doorway, Christina wearing a smirk on her face and Will awkwardly staring at the cold, tiled hospital floor, as if he is wishing to have a deep conversation with it.

Well. This is just a bit awkward.

Christina and Will walk the rest of the way into my hospital room and take their seats in the chairs that occupied my parents last night. We all sit in silence until, guess who, Christina, breaks the silence with her bright and bubbly attitude. "So, I guess you two are a thing, huh?" she asks, laughing at herself, or maybe us I suppose, with my downcast eyes and Tobias's angry red face and ears. And she decides to continue her babbling, not a care in the world as to who is listening to her. "- I mean, who thought that you two would end up together. The new girl and the emotionless Four. Tris so… full of life and energy. Four filled with quietness and death. Well, that must have hurt. Four told me about his mom dying when he was only nine and that his dad deserves the award for world's worst father as well as suckiest dad, dick-head-iest papa, and most assholic padre awards. He never told me, but I know his dad hit him. Hits him. I know that the police were called after I was shot, so I don't know where he is going to stay. Finally, Christina actually gains my attention back to her and pulls me out of my land of daydreaming. "Hey, Tris, I stopped by you house and got some of your clothes and your parents said they'd be here later and they had a quick meeting this morning. I also grabbed you pillow, blanket, your book that your mom said you were reading, your laptop, charger, and make up. Speaking of, can I do your make up?" she asks. Before I can even tell her that I am not feeling up to a face and hair makeover, Tobias jumps in with, "Chris, really? She was shot _yesterday._ You really think she's up for that?" he questions, his anger rising slowly but not slow enough. Christina just looks at him blankly as I shoot him a dagger/thankful look for telling her no so harshly and for telling her no. Period. I'm really sore and the constant touching of my body would get me angry in point nine seconds. I look to Christina thankful yet apologetic because of her offer of a makeover. I mean, she's just trying to help me out here. Even though I don't want a makeover right now, I am still very thankful that Chris decided to bring my stuff for me. Even though I still can't wear any of my pajamas or sweats because of the stupid ICU rules. At least I will probably be admitted to the hospital tomorrow. Probably. I hope. Christina and Will stay for a few more hours until my parents come and the two of them plus Tobias, who promises to be back as soon as possible, leave, the only reason as to why Tobias left being that he no longer needs to stay at the hospital and he has to talk to Hana, Zeke and Uriah's mom, about staying with them. The rest of my day goes by as a blur. Talking with my parents, nurses checking on me, my sucky hospital food being brought to me, Tobias coming back, multiple naps. Not all that bad. I mean, naps in the middle of the day? But most are caused because of the pain killers that I am currently hyped up on. And now my eyes are starting to close once again. Now, I wish Tobias was here; I told him to go and get a good night's rest tonight and to only come back tomorrow well rested. As I'm falling asleep, the only thing I can think about is his warm body that I slept next…and cuddled into…just…last…night. And with that…I'm out for the night.

…

 **A/N: Hey, so if you guys haven't seen my profile, I decided that I am now going to publish a new chapter every Thursday instead of Tuesday. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **P.S. Let me know if you have any recommendations for stories to read/write.**

 **P.P.S. I am also going to add another story or two in the next few months so be on the lookout.**

 **-Tori**


	12. Chapter 10

Tris POV:

The last few days were spent with me being transferred to the ICU and then to the normal hospital, Today I will finally be released from the hospital, but I can't go to school for another week, so this is gonna suck. Tobias has been by my side and making sure I stay in his sight 24/7. I guess I get it; if my dad shot him, I would be there constantly, catering to his every need. And that's what he's doing for me. It annoys the crap out of me, but I know he does it because he cares so I try my hardest not to say anything. Especially today. Today he made me let _him_ pull my hair into a pony tail. But to be fair, I did let out a few ego-lowering whimpers that really alarmed him because he thought I would pull my stitches out. This, not being able to even do my own hair, takes nearly all my self-pride away from me.

The car ride back to my house with Tobias is tedious. He won't go fast enough to get us there in the normal time, claiming he doesn't want to be the reason I end up back in the hospital with ripped stitches. As far as I'm concerned, I will be just fine. As long as I don't rip my stitches. You know, I don't get why they were even invented in the first place. The entire process is just made more painful. You get a wound and then they say "Oh, look, we can just repeatedly put a needle through this person's skin and say they will be just fine and they will need no further treatment." Well, you do need further treatment. If you ever rip your stitches, its pretty much the equivalent of getting the same wound over and over. They make you dependent on other people. Oh, and when you have to get them out, they have to be _cut_ out. Unless you do get liquid stitches, but those are usually used for small injuries.

The whole thing just completely and utterly frustrates me.

We pull into my driveway even though Tobias's is right next door. He won't let me walk more than, eh, I'd say… 25 feet? The last few days, I wasn't really exposed to much of his protectiveness, but that was because I was holed up in a tiny hospital room the whole time and because my parents were with us. Now, though, my parents have to work, Caleb is at school, and Tobias is still on 'leave' since he got out of the hospital just a few days before I did. So, he'll be spending all his free time with me until we both go back to school. He'll be staying with us for a little too, just until Hana, Zeke and Uriah's mom, can clear out their guest room for him. Apparently, Marcus is M.I.A. and the police aren't finding him anywhere. I don't know the full story though. Every time I try to bring it up, Tobias just brushes me off and mumbles something about me being shot by that devil of a man and how I don't need that stress on my shoulders as well. He needs the stress taken from his shoulders, and I am trying to help I'm, but he just won't let me in. At all. I try to talk to him. Get to know him better since, well, we were both hospitalized for our whole relationship so far.

From my perspective, I feel trapped. I feel like I am incapable of everything that I did every day before…all of this.

From his perspective… well, let's just say you wouldn't see me with my feet kicked up on the coffee table if he was in my shoes.

I did through my big over-the-shoulder bag that Chris used to bring me my school work, book, charger, etc. for my house keys and unlock the door and let both Tobias and I through the door. We go in and I plop me and my bag down on our sectional, noticing the house's quietness since my family is all out. _Well, they care. I get that mom and dad have work and Caleb has school, but… I just wish they would be here. For me._ I guess Tobias notices my quietness and the way I am looking around at my home that I have lived in for not even a year; he comes, plops down the exact way I did, wraps his right arm around my petite frame, and leans back into the couch, bringing me with him. We lay there for at least an hour. Me with my head leaning against Tobias's shoulder and my legs thrown across his lap. His arms are strongly wrapped around me, making me look even smaller than I actually am compared to his tall, lean, toned body, but I feel so loved. More loved than I ever had. Not from my parents, not from Caleb, not from my friends, not from my asshole of an ex. From no one. Just him. I wonder if this is the way that my parents feel for each other. The slight touches and PDA when they are in front of others. The shy smiles at each other. The looks and unspoken words. All of it are the ways they show their affection for each other. They show their restraint in front of others in their PDA. I've never even seen them hug in front of me and Caleb. The only time I ever saw them within five inches of each other was when I was 14 and I walked into the kitchen and they didn't know I was there. I hid behind the fridge, silently watching their quiet, loving, timid touches to each other's flesh. I watched their embraces. I watched their kisses on each other's cheeks. I watched them grip each other's hands tightly while they whispered what I assumed were sweet nothings to each other. I want something like that. I don't even know how long Tobias and I are dating, but I wonder if I'll have something like that with him one day. Or if its not him, then someone else. I hope it would be Tobias one day; I feel the connection I have with him. The sparks flying, as cheesy as it sounds. Every time that I am with him, I feel like I am about to fall. Or turn into liquid. Or burst into flames. I don't know why. He just does this to me. His presence it lights me up. I don't understand the science behind it to be honest. I guess its just love. Yeah, and I just realized how much I would be made fun of by Caleb for even thinking that. And to top it off, I suck at lying. Dear God, please help me. **(If this or any of the other 'God' sayings offend anyone, I'm sorry. I just say stuff like this all the time.)**

Eventually, I hear Tobias's breathing even and decide I should try to get some sleep as well. My eyes slowly shut as my breathing soon is in time with his.

…

Tobias POV:

At some point in the afternoon I wake up to Tris's legs draped across my lap, hearing her soft occasional snores and sighs. I guess someone covered us with a blanket while we were sleeping. Just then I hear someone, cooking I assume, in the kitchen. I look at my watch to see that it is nearly 6. I move Tris's legs off my lap as gently as possible and walk into the kitchen. I was fuller expecting to see Natalie, but to my surprise, I see Caleb rummaging through the refrigerator. I am silent for a few moments, watching him continue his search for food, until I cough loud enough for him to jump in shock and hit the back of his head on the fridge door. He mutters under his breath. He looks to me, subtly nods to the kitchen table, and I follow like a dog after its master. Looks like I'm in for the "Big Brother" talk. Help.

…

A/N: Hey new chapter! Sorry it's a few days late. If any of you didn't see my profile page, I decided to update this story every two weeks. This chapter was late because of the holiday as well as school and my music lessons. Deeply sorry. I want to let you guys know that your reviews really encourage me to keep writing and posting and updating. Especially emmabethwritingfanfics. Your last review really, well, I got excited. It is so nice to hear that other people enjoy my writing other than my English teacher. I even did a little happy dance (it was kinda scary though, so I won't describe it in detail).

Thanks again, -Tori


	13. Chapter 11

**Saphiredragon13 –** So glad you like it! Defense. And I'm too lazy too, don't worry! Haha

 **whyIreadsomuch –** Thanks! Happy you are enjoying. Yeah, its so busy. Ugh! Haha. I know I'm lame, no need to tell me. And here is your wish BTW.

…

My talk with Caleb was surely… something. I don't know what I would call it.

 _Interesting?_ Maybe.

 _Unique?_ Definitely.

 _Difficult?_ Yeah.

It was something else. That honestly, kinda sucked ass.

 **Flashback:**

 _I follow Caleb slowly to the kitchen table, acting like a dog that knew it did something wrong, hanging its tail between his legs. I can already tell that this is going to be bad._

" _So, when were you going to ask for my blessing?" He questions me. I am suddenly taken back to the first time I watched_ _The Godfather_ _. My reverie is soon broken when he continues his Big Brother Lecture to me. "My baby sister is my best friend, you realize? Few like five years, she was the only person I could actually talk to. And I for her. I don't what she has told you, if she has even said anything about our past at all, but we, our family, has been through some crap. And don't even ask what has happened. I will let her decide whether or not she wants you to know. Its mostly hers anyways." He mumbles the last part, thinking that I can not hear him. "So, Four," he says after a few seconds of awkward silence, "why should I let you be with my baby sister?" I think about the question for a few moments._

" _Well, I really don't know. I have been through crap too. But it was my dad who frickin' shot her." I pause for a few seconds, picking up the pieces of my mind that I need in order to keep up with Caleb in this conversation and not to lose Tris. "My mom died when I was a kid and my father blames me for it. I was beaten nearly every day until I wound up in the hospital. And then he was finally arrested. He'll most likely go to prison for child abuse, attempted murder, and possibly murder. He is most likely the reason that my mother died of an infection. He would beat her before he moved onto me. We were never allowed to get professional medical attention." And with that, he knew all the secrets that I have never told anyone. Not even Tris. And it was all to keep her._

 _Caleb stares at me for a couple of seconds before nodding, standing from his seat at the table, and walking up the stairs._

 **End Flashback:**

Me and Caleb have been closer these past few weeks. Ever since I told him all my dirty little secrets that I am ashamed of over no logical reason. He started hanging out with me, Tris, and the group more. Tris told me that he hadn't really found his "clique" yet. She said that she thinks that our group is both his and her "cliques" but he just doesn't realize that yet. She said that he was always the smart one. When I brought it up to him, though, he said it wasn't just him. It was her too. She was in every AP class with Caleb that their old school offered and had the same, maybe even better, grades than him. He said that he did hang out with the 'smart kids' and she hung out with the daredevils. Well, that was until something happened. This is the second time he has clued me off on something about her, their past. I still haven't mentioned any of this to her though. She'd flip her shit.

We are lounging on the couch when she turns to me. "Hey, I want to show you something." And she starts to take off her shirt.

…

Mwah ha ha. I left a cliff hanger for ya. Sorry this is a short chapter. I just really wanted to focus on the "Big Brother" talk and then have it lead into my next chapter. It'll be fluffy and good. I promise. Au revoir for now mis amigos/ amigas! (Yep, I know Spanish) Haha. Bye for now.

-Tori


	14. Chapter 12

Haven't done a disclaimer in a while so…

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or any of its characters. I wish I did but I don't. I only own my ideas and OCs.**

The next few weeks are spent with me and Tobias lounging in my room or on the couch. I am slowly losing my mind and I expect it to be worse at this speed – losing my mind. I think that losing it all at once would be better than this. I love Tobias, I really do, but – wait, I _love_ Tobias? I don't know.

Maybe I do.

Maybe I don't.

 _I don't know._

These past few weeks – they have been great – but do I really love him just yet?

The uncertainty is clingy to my chest like a new born baby does to its mother. It stays attached at the hip – or at least it probably should. It hits my chest like an airbag does in a car accident. The sudden whoosh of pressure – it comes so quickly that I can't stop it. I don't know where my sudden anxiety comes from. Maybe it's the fact that I was shot. Or the fact that I just started this relationship and I think I love him already. Or what occurred in my past.

I know. I shouldn't complain.

But those memories stay in my mind. Sometimes, they trap me like I am underneath a bus.

Other times I am as free as the birds on my collar bone – which I unfortunately must hide constantly since only my mom and Caleb know I got them a year ago. I should probably tell Tobias about them. So, I do.

"Hey," I turn to Tobias who sits next to me, his arm draped over my shoulder and my fingers interlaced with his. He looks at me questionably, so I continue. "I want to show you something." I slowly lift my shirt up, knowing that I have a tank top underneath my old, long sleeved t-shirt that still fits me from the seventh grade.

"Woah, Tris, I know we've been dating for a few weeks now, but I don't think we're ready for that. I mean, I like you, very much. Hell, I might even love you." I look at him, shocked that he admitted that to me. "Shit, I just said that out loud."

"Might?"

"Well, maybe I do love you, but I am afraid to scare you off."

"Well, you should know better than that," I say, stopping the process of taking my sweater off.

"Fine. Then I love you Beatrice Eliza Prior."

"And I love you Tobias James Eaton."

"Tris, don't just say that. You don't – "

"I'm not just saying that." I pause for a few moments, letting him say something, anything, if he wanted. He didn't. So, I continue. "I really do have something to show you, though." I lift my shirt up the rest of the way and pull it over my head, setting it on the couch next to me. I pull the hem of my tank top down a little bit. He stares at my collar bone which is laced with the black birds.

Tobias decides to break the silence. "What do they mean?" he asks quietly, almost silent. He gently reaches his hand up and it tickles its way down towards my heart, not in a sexual way. Its in a way that makes this, being with him, so much more surreal.

I am quiet for some time, but then I respond by rushing my words out of my mouth. "Well, umm… my ex-boyfriend, he kinda hit me sometimes and other times he would be so sweet and then I finally broke up with him. It wasn't until after the shooting, and stabbing I should say, that I found out that he was bipolar, and he wasn't taking his meds the whole time he was with me. He got revenge on some of the people I loved." I pause for a minute letting it soak in completely. He looks stunned. I take a deep breath before I continue. "Ummm… I used to have two brothers. Caleb, Wyatt, and I… we were super close. As you know, Caleb is in the grade above us. What you don't know is that I was a twin. Wyatt was my twin brother. Twenty-eight minutes and seventeen seconds older than me. So, I was originally the youngest of three kids, not two. Yeah, so in the last month of freshman year, Mason and I broke up. We had started dating at the beginning of the year and he invited me over everyday after school. And when I stopped coming over, he threatened he would beat me at school and make my life hell. So many times, he could have, would have, raped me if it wasn't for his younger sister coming home from school. He just adored her. But, back to my point. He had walked into an end-of-the-school-year assembly with a gun and an 8-inch knife in his bookbag. As soon as it started, he opened fire. Everyone went scattering. Afterwards, I found out that Wyatt was with Caleb. Yeah, but I ran off with my two best friends who knew everything about me. Especially all the stuff with Mason. He apparently ran after me because he wanted his revenge on me. Eventually, me and my two friends, Piper and Noah, we stopped running, thinking we were safe. We weren't. He made a clean shot to Noah's heart and he stabbed Piper. I had to watch the light leave her eyes." By now, I am sobbing into Tobias's shoulder and he is rubbing small circles into my back and mumbling sweet nothings to me.

"You can stop, Tris. You don't have to tell me everything." I shake my head in response and continue my story now that my tears have slowed down.

"He watched me as I held her head in my lap and mumbled to her and watched the light leave her eyes. After I was semi-weak from sobbing over the death of the only two friends I have ever had, he shoved me into the lockers and held me in a chokehold for what felt like hours since I couldn't breathe. Then, he dropped me onto the floor and stabbed me in the stomach before I had the chance to catch my breath. The blade went in six and a half inches and almost hit my spine. If it wasn't for the cop that came in and shot him while he was in the midst of stabbing me, I would be paralyzed or dead right now. After I was in the hospital and I woke up, I found out that just before Mason found me, Piper, and Noah, he killed Wyatt and got Caleb in the shoulder." I pause, wiping the tears that stream down my face once again. "Yeah, so I got the three birds to represent the loved ones that I lost that day. I lost both of my groups of the three musketeers. Piper, Noah, and me. Caleb, Wyatt, and me. Caleb and I became the lonesome twosome. That's what we were called during my sophomore year and Caleb's junior year. Everyone knew about it. Everyone whispered behind our backs. I started running as an escape. I started eating less, but Caleb caught me in the act and started watching my every move. I started to do better in school just so I could be in my brother's classes and not alone. Before, I was welcomed by every person in my school. Then, I was _that girl._ Or _the girl that lost her two best friends and brother all in one day._ I don't like pity, so before you even apologize, don't. Just don't. Don't pity me. I don't want any sorries. This year, when I started at my old school for the first week, I was excluded from everything. The teachers sent me to the counselor every day, so they wouldn't have to hear the whispers. My parents finally stopped their grieving and moved us here. They pretty much left us for about two and a half years. Yes, they were physically there, but Caleb and I were ignored for basically the whole time. We had to get jobs to pay for everything. Caleb more so than I. He said that I had to keep pursuing my passion of soccer. I dropped out sophomore year because that was our thing. Not mine and Caleb's, but me and Piper were both on the girls' team while Wyatt and Noah were on the guys' team. My dad couldn't even look at me. My mom fortunately snapped out of her 'trance' faster than my dad did. She got him out of it too. But I don't know if that was a good thing since he still blames me for the death of his youngest child. He no longer considered me his daughter. I was just the poor girl that my mother was too kind to let live in the streets. He's starting to be convinced that it wasn't my fault by my mother, but in a way, it really is. If I never dated Mason, my brother and two best friends would still be here. My father wouldn't think I'm the spawn of Satan. My family dinners wouldn't be silent. They would be filled with the laughter of me and my siblings added with the quiet chuckles of our parents at our stupid remarks. And my two best friends would be together. They both confided in my that they both liked maybe even loved each other just a couple months before. I know that they were meant for each other, and now they are dead because of me." I break down into quiet sobs that I have worked on controlling for so long, but now they can't be held back any longer. Tobias just holds me, running his hands over my hair, smoothing it over, and holding onto me tight.

"But, at the same time, I wouldn't be here with you," he whispers in my ear. I look up to his eyes slowly. "We wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be holding each other right now. And I wouldn't be able to love you Beatrice Eliza Prior. I wouldn't know you, so I couldn't love you. But, because of all that, we can be right here, right now. Fear doesn't shut you down. Nope, not at all. It does just the opposite. It lights you up and it sets fire to your soul. To my soul. I would be dead if it wasn't for you, Tris." I am silent for a few seconds and before I can process it, my lips are moving towards his and they stay there until I can't breathe. I pull back for air and mutter quiet "I love you"'s to him, placing kisses all over his face until I grow tired and lean my head on his chest. His heartbeat puts me at ease and allows the nightmares that I get after I even think about Wyatt, Piper, or Noah to crumble away. I slowly fall asleep, my heart beating with his.

…

1839 words. Longest in a while. I wanted to give you a longer chapter after the last one. Hope you guys enjoy this. I almost cried while writing this.

-Tori

BTW – if you review, you get a shoutout! And my personal 'thank you'. That's always nice too. Haha. Nevermind.

Ily – Tori

:P


	15. Chapter 13

This is the second time I have woken up this week to Tobias and Caleb talking. I smile to myself. Caleb never talked to Peter; if I was him, I wouldn't have either. If I could have just sensed the anger in him. If only I could have –

"Hey, Tris, you're up!" Caleb called. And he not so subtly turns to Tobias and mumbles, "Thought you'd have to kiss-awake your sleeping beauty," and he nudged Tobias in the ribs, winking.

"Caleb, I'm injured, not deaf. I can still hear you. Every. Single. Time. Please whatever you do, do not become a member of the CIA. You won't be able to shut up, and you'll eventually unfold all of your plans to some international drug dealer." My brother likes to think that no one will hear him when he whispers even though he is the loudest whisperer, and talker, that I know.

"So, Caleb, what brings you here?" Tobias asks, acting as if he owns the place – my place.

"Uh, hope you aren't forgetting who owns this house, Four." Tobias scoffs and laughs it off, quickly changing the subject. Welp, that was a wee bit awkward. "Well, I gotta go. I'm meeting someone."

"Yeah. Suuuuuusaaaaaannnn!" I drag out. He blushes and runs out the door while I watch him make his way across the street. Caleb sucks at hiding his flirting, especially with our one neighbor across the street, Susan. She is in my grade as well as her brother, Robert, who is her twin. They are both taller than me, matching the other with their light brown eyes and wavy dark blonde hair. I feel that Susan and Caleb would be a good match for each other. With both their looks and personalities. Caleb has a robust and loud spirit while Susan is quiet but very intelligent. His green eyes that he got from our mother perfectly match her beautiful brown eyes. They are both tall, so it wouldn't be really awkward for them, Caleb being about 6 foot 1 and Susan being about 5 foot 7. Not to mention that they are both not ugly, like me. They are rather gorgeous. Everyone is. In comparison to me. I was the ugly duckling of my family. I still am.

My father is and looks like a kind man though he could be intimidating with his height (about 6 foot) and his alert, gray eyes. But, his lean, non-bulky frame shows a kind, gentle man.

Caleb is, as I said earlier, gorgeous. He inherits that from our parents. His dark brown hair from our father. His vibrant green eyes from our mother. Gorgeous.

Wyatt. He looked a lot like me. But, more… appealing. His blonde hair was always messed up, but it got nearly all the girls in our grade to fall for him. His gray-blue eyes were bluer than gray making them look brighter, filled with life. My have grayer in them than blue, making them duller. He wasn't quite as tall as Caleb, but he was getting there. He would probably be the same height as Caleb by now. He would most likely hit his growth spurt in 10th grade like Caleb did, growing from his height that was around 5 foot 8 to somewhere around 6 foot. He was in all the sports. All the girls basically drooled over him.

And my mother. My mother has her own type of beauty. Her blonde that was passed down to both me and Wyatt is a halo of gold that wraps around her head. It is always wrapped up in that bun of hers, always at the nape of her neck, pulled out of her face. She says that it helps her to forget herself. I don't think that I will ever master the art of losing myself. Her green eyes. Her beautiful, vibrant, green eyes were passed down to Caleb. Everyone always assume that I get my short height from my mother, saying that she was always short until she reached college. She told me differently. In fact, she was 5 foot 8 since the ninth grade, when she stopped growing. So, I am guessing that I will always be short. It is both a blessing and a curse. My mother is actually the best height and with her other looks, I am surprised that she never became a super model.

Then, there is me. The short, flat, boring Beatrice Eliza Prior.

I don't get why Tobias calls me beautiful. I am nothing near it. Sure, I'm not _that_ ugly, but I sure as hell am not anything more than average. Not even average. I am nowhere near that; no one notices me. I am the plain, under-average, 12-year-old looking girl who is basically a ghost.

…

Four POV:

After Tris's brief interaction with Caleb over his nearly non-existent love life, she kind of zones out for a little bit. I know she does this when she is thinking about her family. Or doubting herself. It's funny how you only know someone for a few months, but you learn so much from observing them if you're thrown into a situation like ours. We watched each other. Not in a creepy way. We watched each other with care in our eyes. With some sorrow mixed in. Love maybe?

At least that was how I looked at her.

I don't understand how she could be near me. I am no good. Not to Marcus at least. He says that what he does to me is for my own good, but is it really?

I wonder what I look like when I doubt myself. I have Tris's expression permanently etched in my memory because she does it so often. I wish she didn't, but I mean, I can't control her so…

Why she doubts herself, I will never know. I don't understand the reasons behind it. She says that she is unoticable, but to me she is the brightest thing in the room. Her wit, her athletic ability, her gorgeousness, everything about her is simply amazing. One day I will make her love herself. One day.

…

 **A/N: So, here is this chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this one and I can't wait to write more.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIVERGENT!**

 **Hope everyone had a good New Year and happy holidays**

 **-Tori**


	16. Chapter 14

**A/N: OML. Yeah. Well, I don't know what to say. So, its Monday, January 15 and I am just starting to write this chapter because it has been some very busy two weeks and I thought I had another week and a half to write this. Therefore, I deeply apologize if this chapter is too short and/or sucks as*. So, yeah, that's it.**

 **Oh wait. Shout outs to the following; divergentpanda46, emmabethwritingfanfics, Nisprior246, and DauntlessBoy.**

 **P.S. I do not, nor will I ever, own Divergent or any of its characters. Though I wish I did, the owner of this trilogy is Veronica Roth.**

…

Going back to school or work is always difficult after a long break. The assignments and work and knowledge that you have to catch up on leads to suffocation.

At least, that is my experience.

Wyatt used to skip all the time. He would use his charm to persuade teachers into post poning the due date on his projects.

I am the opposite.

I don't have the charm that Wyatt had. I am as charming as Shrek to that short guy in the movie. The one who I think tries to get him killed. Yeah. I'm Shrek in that situation.

If I were to say, _"Hey, guys, I know I kinda screwed you over and all, but you know I'm still your friend, right?"_ to a group of my old schools 'Gotham Gang' as I call them, I would wake up the next day in Tahiti, **(Quick A/N. This is for any of my AoS fans out there. AKA Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)** the happy place where Coulson and Skye both retreated to for some time after near death. Now that I think about it, it may have just been Coulson. I gotta re-watch the series on Netflix **(what I have been doing these past two days…)**.

Yeah, Netflix is kinda the reason my charm is so low. I was a hermit for most of my life and I only really started hanging out with my friends more after Wyatt's…

I mean, yeah, of course I had friends. I saw them at school. We had the occasional sleep overs. We had girl talk (obviously with the girls) and we played sports (mostly with the few guys friends I had). It wasn't like I was _constantly_ a hermit. I just got less hermit-y after Wyatt was gone. I started going out to parties with my friends. Sometimes I acted good. Others, I didn't. I just didn't wanna be home a lot without my best friend of all time.

Wyatt would watch Netflix with me. We usually fell asleep on the couch together. Not in a weird way. I mean, he was my twin brother; we were almost always together. Almost. Always.

…

I returned home exhausted, miserable, and emotionally drained with Tobias trailing along behind me like a lost puppy who just watched his owner be brutally murdered. He has had that expression on his face multiple times since I was shot. He mumbles it under his breath. That he was the reason that I was shot. Because it was _his_ father.

The truth is that, I don't blame him at all. Actually, I wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for him. If he hadn't painfully walked, limped his way over to the nurses' station, I would have bleed out. Either that or I would have major blood clots. He blames himself just because he was blood related to that ass hat who shot me. I tell him that its okay. That its not his fault. He just nods his head at me. Gives me a fake smile to act as if he understands, but I know he doesn't. I know he doesn't because that was me two years ago. I blamed myself for Wyatt's death because I was the one who angered Peter.

I still blame myself for it. That's why I just try to stay away from those memories. I stay away from the memories of me, Wyatt, and Caleb running around the backyard playing pirates or ninjas or whatever we played. I stay away from the memories of Wyatt sitting next to me at the dinner table every night. I stay away from the memories of me sitting at the wheel of my dad's pick-up truck learning to drive while Wyatt sat in the back seat and waited for his turn at the wheel.

Every. Single. Solitary. Memory. I have tried to wipe them all from my mind. Caleb tells me not to do that, but I can't live with the guilt of it.

And I am a coward because of it.

Tobias tries to tell me different.

So does Caleb. To be honest, I am surprised that I haven't seen him give up on me yet. Yeah, I get that he is family. My own flesh and blood. But, after a few months of trying, my own parents gave up on. You know, the people who created you, raised you. Yep, they gave up. On. Me. And honestly, at the time that they stopped caring, I didn't give two shits about them not caring anymore. _I_ gave up on _me. Myself._ I didn't care if nobody cared. I just wanted to push them all away.

That was until we got here. I didn't want anymore friends to lose, but as soon as Christina opened her mouth after stopping her drive by my house, I knew I was screwed. A kind, persistent person like her wouldn't give up on me. Not like half my family did. And then I meet the group and Tobias and I knew I was knee-deep in glue. Not like the Elmer's School Glue but the stickiest glue possible in the world. It may as well have been quick sand. I sunk deeper and deeper into the trap of friendship, struggling to free myself and push it away, therefore pushing myself deeper into the pit of sand. I'm still sinking, the only thing that is left free being my head, my thoughts still roaming free around my brain.

I guess I still am a hermit, just slightly more social now.

Yeah, that's it.

My phone buzzes.

 **Christiana.**

 _ **Hey, u ready for our shooping trip. Gotta celebrate ur return to school! Ekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk! I'M SO EXCITED**_ __ __

Oh yeah. She said something about that this morning.

I'm so not ready for my torture.

…

 **A/N:**

 **So, here is this chapter. I know it is just under 1,000 words, but that's because I forgot to start this until Monday. Plus school and dance and stuff, but I did have two snow days and that is the only reason I got this done.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **P.S. Anyone have any ideas for the next chapter.**

 **Please continue to R &R**

 **-Tori 3**


	17. Chapter 15

**Please read the A/N at the bottom!**

…

"Oh my God! Tris! What the hell are you wearing? That is no outfit for the mall. Yeah, you go to the mall and you are supposed to look comfortable, but you _have_ to look hot too! Dear lord. It's like I'm about to go shopping with a two-year-old!"

This, what I am hearing right now, is Christina's non-stopping yells of upset and mental exertion. She has tried many times since I met her to 'get me up to speed in the world of fashion.' And it hasn't worked. Ya know, I'm kinda regretting opening the door in the first place. As soon as I did, she looked me up and down then barged past me and begun marching up the stairs to my bedroom, ranting about my lack of fashion sense. I guess she disapproves of my baggy soccer sweatshirt and sweatpants stuffed into my Uggs.

So now, I am sprawled across my bed with Christina throwing articles of clothing at me from my closet. And it's not just my sweats or my t-shirts. Nope. Its dresses, blouses, jeans. ALL of my clothes.

"Tris, do you not own a decent pair of sweatpants?"

"I think these are pretty okay," I say gesturing to the sweatpants that lie in the pile on top of me. I like my sweats. Isn't that enough?

"Triiiiiiiiiiisss! Do you at least own a pair of joggers?" She asks exasperatedly.

"Seriously, Chris? I'm an athlete for God's sake. Why wouldn't I have joggers?"

"Well, judging by the rest of your wardrobe…"

"Ugh. Shut up and get out."

"Wait, Tris I'm sorry. I –" I close my bedroom door before she could push her way back in. I go to where I have more sweatpants and leggings and joggers and that stuff in my drawer. I pull on my Adidas joggers, grab my soccer sweatshirt, and shove my feet back into my fuzzy, grey boots. I open my door to see Christina gone. I close my door with a huff and stomp my way downstairs. I swear if she just left after all that, I will murder that child. Not really. She can just be a little frustrating sometimes. I reach the bottom of the steps to see that she's not in the kitchen. _Seriously, Christina?_ I walk – more like stomp – into my living room to see that she has made herself comfy on my couch. _Really? The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? If you make yourself comfortable on my couch, can't you at least watch something better than this bull crap?_ "Oh, look who's finally looks better than the garbage!"

"Shut up, Chris." I kinda don't wanna put up with her honesty right now.

"Well, I wonder who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Chris."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. 'Shut up, Chris.' I know. You should know by now that my filter isn't very sturdy."

"Yeah, okay. Let's just go." We walk out to her car that she told me she got for her upcoming birthday in January. Her parents didn't feel like driving her to school anymore, and though she didn't tell me, I know she would die of humility by taking the bus and she is too lazy to walk to school. And we live only five minutes away. Not by car. By foot. Three – ish minutes by bike. And like a minute and a half by auto mobile. Chris doesn't like to do anything that requires work. Well, besides soccer. That's what se told me, at least.

The drive to the mall is uneventful. And when I say uneventful, I mean _uneventful._ Listening to Christina ramble on about how much fun we are going to have shopping today or about Will or whatever isn't my definition of fun. My definition of fun is, well I don't really know, but its not shopping.

…

So, shopping today was actually not that bad. Chris only _made_ me go into four stores; I willingly went into the other five or six that we also stopped at. The only one that she had to drag me into was, yep, you guessed it, Victoria's Secret. Lovely right? Yeah, I know I need underwear, but when you think about it, are crotch-less panties really underwear? And do girls really need thigh-highs? Like, Seriously people? **(A/N: Yeah this is also a little bit of me speaking too.)**

But, on this _amazing_ – note my sarcasm – shopping trip, I ended up buying multiple pairs of panties, a couple bras, another pair of joggers (they are _so_ comfortable), leggings, a couple tops, bralettes, two skater skirts, a pair of skinny jeans, and a pair of _ripped_ skinny jeans. The only reason I got them was to get Chris to stop nagging me about it.

We're now walking out of the mall and to Chris's car when I hearhis voice behind me. The _lovely_ – note my sarcasm once again – arrogant voice of one of the worst people that I had the _pleasure_ – yep, again – of meeting in my first week of school here. Eric. Don't you just love the douchebag? If someone said this to me and I didn't pick up on their sarcasm I would've been like "That asshole can go rot with Satan for all I care!" But, since I _know_ it's sarcasm (well, I mean, who the _**hell**_ would use words like _lovely_ and _pleasure_ and _love_ to describe that assholic SOB? Just asking.) I would just "agree" by saying, "Yep, he is _such an amazing person_. He's _the best._ " Speaking of the devil himself, he breaks my inner thoughts (unfortunately).

"Hello, ladies," he says dragging out the o.

"What do you want, Eric?" Christina replies, already tired of his presence.

"What? Can't a guy just greet some of his favorite classmates?"

I decide to bud into the conversation. "Well, for anyone else but you it would be totally okay and rational. But, it's you. Eric. The asshole who looked at my ass like it was a piece of meet on my first day here. But, I guess that is kinda hypocritical considering you told Four that I look like a twelve-year-old. Yet you seemed just the tiniest bit of obsessed with my rear end. So please, explain this – your logic to us, Eric." His glare just burns through my skull, but it's not like I really care. It's Eric. The school douchebag. I don't give two shits about him. Zip. Zada. Zilch. Nothing. I've dealt with people like him on multiple occasions. It doesn't faze me. At realizing this, he turns, stomps off to his car, revs the engine to _try_ to look cool and act all big and tough, and speeds out of the mall parking lot.

Chris turns to me with her mouth wide open. "Damn girl. How do you come up with those comebacks so fast?"

I look towards her, draining my face of all amusement. Gotta be serious. "Well, Chrissy, you see, I have thought of every possible situation that I could get into and came up with rebuttals for every single one. Let's just say I have a lot of time on my hands."

Her silence makes me want to roll on the floor in laughter. "Seriously?"

"No, Chris! I'm not _that_ much of a loner."

"Then how'd you do it?"

"I've dealt wit assholes before. On multiple occasions actually."

"Well, we have to come up with more for when we see him in school."

…

A/N: So, here is chapter fifteen. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that this is late. I am honestly really forgetful. I have to write my homework on my hand just to make sure that I look in my planner to see what homework I have.

Any ideas for future chapters? I am taking requests, and as long as I understand what you are talking about, I will most likely (like 99%) write a chapter about it. Well, as long as I can fit it into my plot.

So yeah, there's that.

Okay, I'm gonna go now. Please keep R&R ing.

P.S. If you want to follow me on Wattpad, my user is torielise13

Bye

-Tori 3


	18. Chapter 16

**Please let me start by saying that I am so sorry about not really acknowledging some of the last few reviews. Well… I don't know where I was going with that so…. Yeah. Okay then. Let's get into chapter 16!**

 **P.S. Just to clarify since I am not sure that I made it clear, but the story is now in mid February to early March. Kay? Kay.**

 **Story time!**

…

 **Mid-February**

 _Feels like we're on the edge right now  
I wish that I could say I'm proud  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
Let you down_

My breathing is heavy. And the air is bitter cold.

 _All these voices in my head get loud  
I wish that I could shut them out  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
L-l-let you down_

My steps are even with my breathing. _  
Yeah, I guess I'm a disappointment  
Doing everything I can, I don't wanna make you disappointed  
It's annoying  
I just wanna make you feel like everything I ever did wasn't ever tryna make an issue for you  
But, I guess the more you  
Thought about everything, you were never even wrong in the first place, right?  
Yeah, I'ma just ignore you  
Walking towards you, with my head down, lookin' at the ground, I'm embarrassed for you  
Paranoia, what did I do wrong this time? That's parents for you  
Very loyal?  
Shoulda had my back, but you put a knife in it, my hands are full  
What else should I carry for you?  
I cared for you, but  
Feels like we're on the edge right now  
I wish that I could say I'm proud  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
L-l-let you down  
All these voices in my head get loud  
I wish that I could shut them out  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
L-l-let you down  
Yeah, you don't wanna make this work  
You just wanna make this worse  
Want me to listen to you  
But you don't ever hear my words  
You don't wanna know my hurt, yet  
Let me guess you want an apology, probably  
How can we keep going at a rate like this?  
We can't, so I guess I'ma have to leave  
Please don't come after me  
I just wanna be alone right now, I don't really wanna think at all  
Go ahead, just drink it off  
Both know you're gonna call tomorrow like nothing's wrong  
Ain't that what you always do?  
I feel like every time I talk to you, you're in an awful mood  
What else can I offer you?  
There's nothing left right now, I gave it all to you_

I turn back on my street. _  
Feels like we're on the edge right now  
I wish that I could say I'm proud  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
L-l-let you down  
All these voices in my head get loud  
I wish that I could shut them out  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
L-l-let you down_

Here's my favorite part. _  
Yeah, don't talk down to me  
That's not gonna work now  
Packed all my clothes and I moved out  
I don't even wanna go to your house  
Everytime I sit on that couch  
I feel like you lecture me  
Eventually, I bet that we  
Could have made this work and probably woulda figured things out  
But I guess that I'm a letdown  
But it's cool, I checked out  
Oh, you wanna be friends now?  
Okay, let's put my fake face on and pretend now  
Sit around and talk about the good times  
That didn't even happen  
I mean, why are you laughing?  
Must have missed that joke  
Let me see if I can find a reaction  
No, but at least you're happy_

I sprint the last hundred or so meters to my house _  
Feels like we're on the edge right now  
I wish that I could say I'm proud  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
Oh, I let you down  
All these voices in my head get loud  
And I wish that I could shut them out  
I'm sorry that I let you down  
Oh, let you down  
I'm sorry  
I'm so sorry now  
I'm sorry  
That I let you down_

I love this song. _Let You Down_ is by far my favorite song by him. I feel like it applies to my life. At my old school, everyone shoved me away and ignored me after what happened. They pushed me out. Left me hanging by my fingertips. NF's music makes me feel better. I obviously still remembered what happened, but his music makes me forget about it for a few minutes. I'm going to have to run more later today or tomorrow because of the snow that is starting to get heavier and heavier. Ah, the joys of living in Chicago.

My legs ache slightly from my run as I walk in the door of my house. It's quiet since everyone else in my house is probably still sleeping or just waking up. I'm the early bird who was up at six thirty this morning. I got up and went for my run, and it would have been longer, but the snow started falling. It is now almost seven thirty and I basically have the whole house to myself. I go to the kitchen and eat a quick bowl of cereal before I go upstairs to shower. My muscles groan as I walk slowly up the stairs because I didn't have enough time to do a proper cool down. So much for the so called "joy" that I used to have in my Saturday morning runs. Oh well, I'll just stretch in the shower. I walk down the hallway and just as I pass the bathroom, Caleb opens the door.

"What are you doing up?" I ask. He's never up before eleven on the weekends.

"I've got plans," he replies with a poor attempt at being nonchalant.

"With who?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

"Well, considering the fact that I'm your little sister and practically your only friend….hmmm. Well, yeah. I would consider it my business."

"Okay whatever. I'll tell you downstairs. Don't wanna wake mom and dad."

I groan. "Ughhhh. Caleb, I just came up the stairs, and I'm sore from my run since I was only cleared to go back to 'physical exercise' like a week ago and - "

Next thing I know is that I was pulled down the hallway and into my room.

"Okay, okay. So I joined that Academy of Science thing at school, but mom and dad weren't home when I had to have the permission slip signed, so I kinda forged dad's signature because it was due the next day."

"And here I am thinking that I am some kind of badass, I mean, getting shot and all," I reply smirking at him.

"Shut up, _Beatrice._ " He grins at me.

"Really? Wow, that was a low blow. But, I mean, whatever you say _Caleb Christopher Marie._ "

"Oh, so you wanna go? Huh, is that how I hear it?" He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder and carries me next door to my bedroom. He throws me on my bed before saying, "Okay, I really gotta go now. Don't tell mom and dad." He walks out the door.

"I'll be sure to," I quietly call out my door. He just flips me off then basically runs down the stairs and I can hear the front door open and close in a matter of seconds.

I take my time gathering my towel and other shower stuff before going into the bathroom across the hall from Caleb's room. I turn the shower on the hottest setting, throw my dirty, sweaty clothes into the hamper, and step into the shower. Looking at my scar on my stomach, I think back to when I was shot. I think about Tobias. I think about how I miss him always being around my house. He's living with Zeke and Uriah now since they practically grew up as brothers. Their mom, Hannah, is actually in the process of adopting Tobias because she doesn't want him to be legally tied to Marcus in any way. I'm happy for him. So happy. He deserves a good family and a great parent to support him, and I know that Hannah is a great person and mom. I've meet her a few times, and she has to be one of, if not, _the_ best and kindest and most caring people I have ever met.

I step out of the shower and wrap my towel around myself before going into my room. I didn't bother bringing my clothes in the bathroom with me since Caleb left and my parents rarely ever get up before ten on Saturdays. I quickly get changed into a pair of joggers, my favorite cotton sweater, and fuzzy socks. I sit down on my bed when my phone vibrates on my nightstand.

 _Hey, baby. How's ur day going?_ Tobias. His charm is still there even when I text him.

 _ **Not bad. How's urs?**_

 _Good. Zeke and Uri are trying to get every 1 to play laser tag 2night. U up for it?_

 _ **Hmmmm. Let's see. Am I up for a game that I can cream my utterly handsome boyfriend in? Yeah. Sounds good to me :)**_

 _Well, i do agree to the part about ur utterly handsome boyfriend but not the creaming part. Im gonna kick ur ass 2night!_

 _ **I hear a challenge. And I accept. See u later 3**_

I put my phone down with a grin on my 't wait for tonight.

…

 **A/N: I don't know if you've seen my profile, but I am going to update on Fridays from now on since I like to edit the night before and I have dance until like 8 o'clock on Wednesdays and then I have to eat dinner and study so, yeah. Little busy.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **-Tori**


	19. Chapter 17

**So, here is a new chapter. Please R &R! I would really appreciate some new reviews to cccread! I love reading them.**

 **Let's get into this chapter!**

…

Tris POV:

I look at my clock on my bedside table. 4:38. Tobias said he would pick me up around 5:30, so I should probably get changed into something for paintballing. I get up, off of my bed, and grab a grey soccer sweatshirt, red sweatpants that are more like joggers because they have elastic at the bottom, athletic socks, and my white high top converse. **(A/N: TBH, this is like my everyday outfit for school…)** I go into the bathroom to change and brush my teeth again as well as brush my hair through for the millionth time today. I swear, my hair will never stay untangled for more than a half hour. I look at the clock to see that it's 5:15, so I run downstairs and grab an apple to eat before Tobias picks me up. Just as I'm about to sit on the couch, I hear a knock at the door. I look at my phone. 5:25. Tobias, punctual as always. I open the door to see him leaning against the door frame.

"What's up gorgeous?" He asks me, smirking his usual smirk.

"Nothing much with me. How bout you, handsome?"

"Nothing much, just taking gorgeous out to meet up with some friends. Maybe it'd be considered a group date? Who knows."

"Well, I think that any amount of time, no matter who else is there, this _gorgeous_ girl you are referencing would be insanely lucky. An hour. Five minutes. A second. Time with you would be great, handsome." At my third person kind of rant, he just grins widely, grabs my arm, pulls me out the door, and makes sure the door is shut behind me before pushing me up against it and giving me one of the sweetest kisses I've ever had. That is probably the thing I love most about him. His kindness. The kindness that others passover because of his rough exterior that he put up as a defense mechanism.

It's basically like this. A person is hiking but gets lost in the desert for days and is becoming dehydrated. They see a large cactus nearby. What they may or may not know is that that plant has a good supply of water that they can have if said person was to just break through the prickly walls of the outside. They would rather keep looking than be harmed by the sharp needles on the outside. That's how people pass over my Tobias. They notice his charming and handsome looks, but then they get to talking with him and he kind of comes off like a douchebag. It's his strategy for pushing people away. It is just like how a cactus has needles or thorns or whatever they're called to keep the plant alive.

"So, babe, are you ready to go?"

"Yep, I'm ready." We walk to his car, with him opening the door for me like the gentleman he is. The song _Say You Won't Let Go_ by James Arthur is playing, making me inwardly grin like an idiot. I feel like this is the perfect song for Tobias and I.

 _I met you in the dark, you lit me up  
You made me feel as though I was enough_

He makes me feel like I am actually worth something and he taught me that my brother's and my friends' deaths weren't my fault. _  
We danced the night away, we drank too much  
I held your hair back when  
You were throwing up  
Then you smiled over your shoulder  
For a minute, I was stone-cold sober  
I pulled you closer to my chest_

I love when he does that. _  
And you asked me to stay over_

Yep, I remember when I asked my parents to let him stay with us after the hospital stuff. My dad didn't really like that. _  
I said, I already told ya  
I think that you should get some rest_

He always puts me before himself. Sometimes it's annoying but I love him for it. _  
I knew I loved you then_

I knew I loved him pretty quickly. _  
But you'd never know_

It took a while to confess. _  
'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go_

I didn't want him to go. I don't think he did either.

So, we didn't let go. Between his dad, hospital visits. All of that, we were both there for each other. _  
I know I needed you_

I still do. _  
But I never showed_

Very little it shows. _  
But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

I do. _  
Just say you won't let go_

Never. _  
Just say you won't let go  
I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed  
I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head_

He always does that. Kisses my head. _  
And I'll take the kids to school  
Wave them goodbye  
And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night_

I don't who I would be, where I would be, if I didn't meet him. _  
When you looked over your shoulder  
For a minute, I forget that I'm older  
I wanna dance with you right now_

Tobias is a pretty great dancer. _  
Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever_

He's literally a Greek god. _  
And I swear that everyday'll get better  
You make me feel this way somehow_

I don't get how. _  
I'm so in love with you_

I am. _  
And I hope you know  
Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

It's worth more than anything in the world to me. _  
We've come so far my dear_

We have. Our relationship started in a hospital. _  
Look how we've grown  
And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

I do. _  
Just say you won't let go  
Just say you won't let go_

I won't, Tobias, I won't. _  
I wanna live with you  
Even when we're ghosts  
'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most_

I'll always be there. _  
I'm gonna love you till  
My lungs give out  
I promise till death we part like in our vows_

It hasn't happened yet and won't for a while because we're still in high school but I know I want to marry him. I want to marry Tobias. _  
So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows  
Finally it's just you and me till we're grey and old  
Just say you won't let go  
Just say you won't let go  
Just say you won't let go  
Oh, just say you won't let go_

He grabs my hand over the center console and squeezes before resting our hands on his thigh. Just then, we pull in to the parking lot for the lazer tag and paintball place. Tobias pulls into the parking spot next to Chris and Will, and we can see that they have painted their faces with neon paint already. Christina likes to call it her "war paint" or her "war colors". Yep that's my best friend. I look to Tobias with a grin on my face before opening my door. Let the games begin.

 **A/N: So so so sorry that this is so late. At first, fanfic wasn't letting me in then I wanted to do a different idea. It'll be on time next week. -Tori**


	20. Chapter 18

**So I'm back and better than ever, babes! I have no clue why I just said that but that's okay. So it is Sunday right now and depending on how long the bus ride is to and from my track meet tomorrow will determine how long this chapter is because I have literally like no time to write. Yesterday, I sat around all day in my sweats watching Law and Order. What, Saturdays are my me days. But then I had track everyday after school then I have 4 hours of dance on top of that, 6 this week because of make up classes. Plus I'm in band, chorus, and orchestra and if I don't practice then my orchestra director gets really pissy. So yeah. Sorry I'm rambling. I think it's time I get to it so without further ado, I present chapter 18 of Through Thick and Thin by me, Tori.**

 **P.S. I know I'm awkward.**

 **P.S.S. Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or its characters.**

…

 _Let the games begin [x2]  
_ I sneak around the corner of the outdoor maze, my gun raised. _  
Passed out, all my friends went and passed out  
So much for the night_

I notice that someone already shot down Marlene, Uriah, Shauna, and Will. _  
Last round for a.m. lovers that's how I come alive  
_ The game won't last long now. Almost everyone is out. _  
I'm gonna be a people person in a room of people people  
Imma keep on running this shit  
Let the games begin_

Exactly what I thought when we pulled in.

 **(AN: in the last chapter I didn't mean to set it up for this song. I just wrote it then I remembered this song when I started this chapter.)** _  
A people person in a room of people people  
Imma be the kid for the win_

Everyone in our group of friends to so childish when you get to know all of them that we might as well be kids. _  
Let the games begin  
Let the games begin [x6]  
Cab ride just up here on the right side  
Two more for the road_

I think the only ones left are me, Tobias, Chris, and Zeke. _  
Sometimes when that game hits the wrong vibe you take it home  
_ Take home the win! Yeet! **(AN: people in my grade, especially some people who I throw with in track, just walk around screaming 'yeet' so yeah.)** _  
I'm gonna be a people-person in a room of people-people  
Imma keep on running this shit  
Let the games begin_

Just took down Zeke. _  
A people-person in a room of people-people  
Imma be the kid for the win  
Let the games begin  
Let the games begin [x6]  
Keep on running this shit  
Be the kid for the win, singing  
Let the games begin_

And there's Christina. _  
A people-person in a room of people-people  
Imma keep on running this shit  
Let the games begin  
A people-person in a room of people-people  
Imma be the kid for the win  
Let the games begin_

I see Tobias. I shoot…

and he saw me and went running. _  
Go!_

Run! _  
Let the games begin! [x4]  
Keep on running this shit  
Be the kid for the win, singing  
Let the games begin_

 _ **Splat!**_ Gotcha Four.

 **(AN: this is like one of my favorite songs. It's by AJR. You guys should go check them, just saying.)**

"Hey, Four what were you staying earlier about winning or something of that cocky-ass nature of yours?" I call you him. I jump down from my spot in a tree. Tobias is glaring at me but the playfulness and love behind is obvious. "Aww, are you gonna cry. Look at that guys, the big tough Four is gonna cry," I taunt. The next thing I know, I'm upside down and I can see my gun lying on the ground in front of me.

"Aww. Guys, I think the little, smart ass Tris is gonna cry," I hear Tobias's voice joke. I just start slapping his legs and his back to get him to let go.

"Damnit, Four let go!" He doesn't. "At least let me get my gun."

"Okay," he says agreeing, "but you have to hand it to me. If I bend over I'll drop you." I just nod my head, already formulating my plan in my brain. He walks backwards so I can reach it, and before he has the chance to blink, I grab the paintball gun shot him in the leg and tuck and roll on the ground when he loosened his grip on my legs. I feel bad because that shot had to hurt with the close range. Eh, whatever, he's fine. He has to be a man and grow a pair. Wow, I'm a great girlfriend.

I guess I was lost in my thoughts so the next thing I know is that my back is on the ground and Tobias is on top of me. What the hell! He frickin tackled me!

"Asshole," I mutter.

"Love you too baby," he whispers in my ear sending shivers up my spine. We kind of zone out with each other until Christina yells at us.

"Move it or lose it lovebirds! We're gonna go out and eat, you coming?" I just look at Tobias and he nods his head and we walk towards the group. Good thing we' going to eat. I'm starving after shooting everyone.

 **AN: okay so I know you guys probably all hate me right now because this is my first update in three weeks I think and it's a short af chapter. I promise I will write more after track ends and my standardized tests are done. So yeah. Please R &R.**

 **-Tori**


	21. Author's Note 3

Okay this is another authors note….

I am soooooooooo sorry! I feel so bad because I haven't updated in forever. I'm going into high school and so I had my advanced classes finals and spring soccer sessions and multiple dance recitals then school ended and I had family in from out of state all summer basically. Now I have soccer like four days a week and band camp every single solitary day and my summer reading assignment. So yep a little busy. Right now I'm in the car driving for four hours out of state for my cousins graduation party then I'm going home for like a day and then leaving for vacation.

But… do not worry! I have an idea that my friend gave me about a month ago that I'm toying around with.

I wanna know what you guys think about this story so far.

I also have the first few chapters of the Uriah and Tris story I was talking about done but I am going to wait until I finish this story to publish that one. Maybe. I don't know yet.

Also, I know it was a while ago, but anyone else really into The Kissing Booth? I am kinda obsessed.

Oh and Glee. It's absolutely frickin amazing. Like I literally can't.

So anyways I will be updating soon so keep your eyes open.

Sincerely, (and sorrily if that is a word)

Tori (Me)


	22. Chapter 19

After Tobias and I got into the truck, we drove to a local diner that has the _best_ food. Ever.

We hope out of the car just as the others pull into the parking lot and wait for them before walking in and sitting at a table. Tobias and I sit next to each other with our fingers laced together and resting on my lap underneath the table. I order my usual from here; grilled cheese on wheat bread with french fries and a lemonade **(A/N: honestly, this is my typical order from a local diner that is kinda my favorite)**. Tobias orders a classic BLT with chili fries. Everyone else orders and soon enough, the food comes out.

Not much later, we finish lunch and everyone heads home. I hop in the truck with Tobias driving me back to my house. We park in my driveway and sit in the truck, a comfortable silence among us. "So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?" I ask him.

"Not sure. Probably just gonna go home and chill. Why? Wanna do something?" He gets out of the truck easily with his long legs and walks over to my side. He opens the truck door for me. I jump down because of my short height and I lean against his truck. He comes and stands flush against me, his hands planted on the truck on each side of my waist.

"Well, my mom isn't home. Maybe you wanna come in and 'chill' with me?" I ask looking up to him with my arms wrapped around his neck. He flushes, light pink spreading across his tanned skin, going from his neck and up into his cheeks.

"Well, I mean… If I won't face the wrath of mama Prior, then why the hell not?" His grin is contagious and I find myself grinning right along with him. We run up the front steps of my house and I unlock the door. As soon as it is open, it's closed with Tobias pushing me up against the interior of the front door. His lips are on mine. The sparks from his touch burn me but in a good way. It burns like the warmth of a hot bath kind of. It is warm and welcoming. It embraces you and heats you up to the point of pure content and relaxation. But, at the same time, it also burns like a fire raging in the forest. It lasts and lasts. It doesn't end easily. It continues. It keeps you on your toes. Awake. Alert. Alive. It burns as long as it can.

I jump up and he grabs underneath my thighs while my legs wrap around his waist. He slips his tongue into my mouth and I let out a small, accidental moan. We land on the couch with Tobias underneath me and my legs on either side of his hips. We stay there for a few more minutes until I lean back and start talking. Or at least I try to.

"Okay. Maybe we should - " I try to get a sentence out, but Tobias places his lips back on mine. I can feel his eagerness under me. "Hey lets go - " His lips land on mine again. I get lost in it this time. We both let out small moans, both overwhelmed with the feeling of want. I finally break away again and lightly place my hands on his chest, keeping him flat on the couch. "Hey, I think we should probably go upstairs if this is going to continue." I say winking. After that, I get up and run, almost sprint up to my bedroom. I throw myself onto my bed and wait as i hear Tobias's footsteps come hurdling up the stairs. He appears in the door frame of my room and he grins, staring at me for a few seconds before slowly walking over to me and excitedly but gently laying next to me. He rolls on top of me and uses his forearms to keep from putting his full weight on me. He rests his right palm on my cheek.

"Can I tell you something?" He asks.

"Of course." I watch his eyes very carefully.

"I think I love you." He pauses, taking a moment to look down from my eyes to my lips. He focuses back on my eyes and tries to gage my reaction. I'm overwhelmed, but I know that I do love him.

"You think?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at him and biting my lip trying to get my smile to hide itself.

"Well, the truth is that, I do love you very much, but I don't want to scare you away because its kind of soon." My eyes soften at this.

"Well, considering what we were just doing," I pause, "I think you should know me better than that." I finish, squinting my eyes and letting my smile be shown. He grins back at me and lowers his lips to mine. I feel his smile on my lips and I can't help but to smile as well. We kiss for a while longer until I hear the front door open and my mom and brother walk in. "I think maybe we should save this for another time." I whisper. Tobias rolls off of me and I get up to put a movie into my TV. I sit back down on my bed and lay next to Tobias, cuddling into him and laying my head on his chest. He folds his arm around me and kisses my temple. The movie I put in, Avengers; Infinity War, starts and I make quiet conversation while hearing my family's quiet puttering downstairs. About an hour into the movie, I drift off to sleep, along with the love of my life.

…

 **A/N: So, I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry! I just started high school this year and it has been so unbelievably busy. And this spring will only be busier. So, yeah. I'm trying to post as often as possible. I just haven't had many opportunities to write about anything except school essays. Sorry again guys.**

 **-Tori**


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